HPV And Cervical Carcinoma: Signaling And Clinical Responses To Interferons
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$534,480.00
Summary
Cervical carcinoma and its treatment continues to be an important health concern in Australia. The interferons comprise an elaborate system of natural substances produced in the body, one of whose functions is to prevent cancer cells from developing. The interferons have been widely used to treat human diseases including viral infections and cancers caused by the wart virus. However, results of recent work indicates that viruses like the wart virus, HPV, have developed ways of inhibiting its eff ....Cervical carcinoma and its treatment continues to be an important health concern in Australia. The interferons comprise an elaborate system of natural substances produced in the body, one of whose functions is to prevent cancer cells from developing. The interferons have been widely used to treat human diseases including viral infections and cancers caused by the wart virus. However, results of recent work indicates that viruses like the wart virus, HPV, have developed ways of inhibiting its effectiveness. We have found that cervical carcinoma cells and virally infected cells resist the direct anti-cancer and anti-viral effects of interferons because they have abnormalities in their ability to respond to interferon. We have made good progress in understanding why these cells do not respond to the interferons. In particular they show a deficiency in the activity of cell proteins required to transmit the interferon signal inside the cells. The current proposal will allow us to gain a greater understanding of the processes inside cells that are taken over by the wart viral proteins and the reasons for its abnormality in interferon resistant cancer cells. We will determine whether the levels of certain genes in clinical samples from patients relates to their response to interferon treatment. This may allow us to establish a test to predict which patients will respond to interferon therapy, saving patients from ineffective treatment, side effects and cost. This study will have a broad significance to many human diseases where abnormalities in interferon signaling occur and will help to bring about the necessary changes in cell properties to overcome the abnormalities, restore the responses and improve the application of interferons to treat infectious diseases and perhaps other cancers as well.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Stat1 Activity Levels: Abnormalities In Human Melanoma Cells Resistant To Interferon.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$227,036.00
Summary
Melanoma and its treatment continues to be an important health concern in Australia. The interferons comprise an elaborate system of natural substances produced in the body, one of whose functions is to prevent cancer cells from developing. The interferons have been widely used to treat human diseases including viral infections and cancers like malignant melanoma. However, results of recent trials have cast doubt on its effectiveness. We have found that advanced stage melanoma cells resist the d ....Melanoma and its treatment continues to be an important health concern in Australia. The interferons comprise an elaborate system of natural substances produced in the body, one of whose functions is to prevent cancer cells from developing. The interferons have been widely used to treat human diseases including viral infections and cancers like malignant melanoma. However, results of recent trials have cast doubt on its effectiveness. We have found that advanced stage melanoma cells resist the direct anti-cancer effects of interferons because they have abnormalities in their ability to respond to interferon. We have made good progress in understanding why the melanoma cells do not respond to the interferons. In particular they show a deficiency in the activity of protein, Stat1, required to send the interferon signal inside the cells. The current proposal will allow us to gain a greater understanding of the processes inside cancer cells regulating Stat1 activity and the reasons for its abnormality in interferon resistant cancer cells. This study will help establish an assay to predict which cancer patients will respond to interferon therapy, saving pateints from unecessary discomfort and costs. It will also have a broad significance to many human diseases where abnormalities in interferon signaling occur and will help to bring about ways to produce the necessary changes in cell properties to overcome the abnormalites, restore the responses and improve the application of interferons to treat melanoma and perhaps other human diseases as well.Read moreRead less