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MICROFABRICATED DEVICES: A SIGNIFICANT ADVANCE FOR THE DETECTION AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES OF CIRCULATING CANCER CELLS?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,107.00
Summary
Using advanced microfabrication concepts, this project aims to develop a platform technology able to capture tumour cells circulating in the blood of cancer patients. Although present only in extremely small numbers, these cells provide invaluable insights into the pathophysiology of the disease and consequently provide vital diagnostic and prognostic information. Molecular analyses of these cancer cells could ultimately enable the design of improved and personalized cancer treatment.
Pushing AR Toward Better Outcomes In Breast And Prostate Cancers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$998,754.00
Summary
Breast and prostate cancers kill >6000 Australians each year. These cancers are strikingly similar, both driven by hormone receptors that have ‘gone bad’. Current therapies aim to eradicate the receptors. While often effective, therapeutic resistance is common and results in fatal disease. We aim to develop new, less toxic treatments that switch receptor behaviour from good to bad, without destroying them. This should improve quality of life, while preventing drug resistance and loss of lives ....Breast and prostate cancers kill >6000 Australians each year. These cancers are strikingly similar, both driven by hormone receptors that have ‘gone bad’. Current therapies aim to eradicate the receptors. While often effective, therapeutic resistance is common and results in fatal disease. We aim to develop new, less toxic treatments that switch receptor behaviour from good to bad, without destroying them. This should improve quality of life, while preventing drug resistance and loss of lives.Read moreRead less
Identifying And Exploiting Novel Pharmacological Targets For Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Breast cancers are made up of different types of cancer cells, and not all cells contribute equally. A subset of cancer cells may be uniquely capable of driving tumor growth, rebuilding fatal tumors after therapy and establishing new tumors at distant sites. Identifying and exploiting the pathways that regulate the activity and survival of these cells will lead to better modes of treatment, and move towards a relapse-free future for breast cancer patients.
A Novel Macrophage Lineage In Inflammation And Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$772,857.00
Summary
Macrophages are an important haematopoietic cell type that has been implicated in inflammatory and cancerous diseases. In our preliminary work we have discovered a new macrophage subset, termed the perivascular macrophage, in breast cancer. The aim of this proposal is to investigate the origin of these cells, and the role they play in breast cancer. This will tell us how we might be able to manipulate the functions of these cells in order to curtail breast cancer progression.
Activation Of BMP4 Signalling To Inhibit Breast Cancer Metastasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$748,742.00
Summary
The spread of cancer cells to other organs is a common cause of breast cancer-related death in women. Current therapies for advanced breast cancer are often palliative since the secondary tumours become resistant to the chemotherapy. Here, we are using preclinical models of advanced breast cancer to develop a treatment that should be effective in patients with secondary tumours and should reduce the risk of dying of this disease.
Engineered Hydroxamic Acids for Zirconium-89 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) using a zirconium-89-ligand complex bound to a prostate-specific membrane antigen is used to detect and monitor prostate cancer. The hydroxamic acid-based ligand bound to zirconium has a high affinity towards iron, which can cause metal exchange in vivo and loss of radiotracer. The project will prepare new ligands with a higher specificity towards zirconi ....Engineered Hydroxamic Acids for Zirconium-89 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) using a zirconium-89-ligand complex bound to a prostate-specific membrane antigen is used to detect and monitor prostate cancer. The hydroxamic acid-based ligand bound to zirconium has a high affinity towards iron, which can cause metal exchange in vivo and loss of radiotracer. The project will prepare new ligands with a higher specificity towards zirconium over iron, and measure immuno-PET imaging activity. A second series of macrocyclic zirconium-specific ligands will be prepared to establish the relationship between variable water-lipid solubility and pharmacokinetic properties. The results will increase the capability of immuno-PET for prostate cancer detection and improve survival outcomes.Read moreRead less
How Do Bone-active Drugs Increase Patient Survival?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$613,952.00
Summary
Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs used to prevent bone destruction in diseases such as osteoporosis. Evidence is emerging that these drugs also act on cells outside the skeleton to have additional beneficial effects, for example prolonging patient survival. This project will identify the cells affected and the mechanisms involved. With this knowledge, these drugs could be used more effectively and in different ways for the prevention or treatment of cancer and chronic human illnesses.
Targeting Bone Marrow Mediated Angiogenesis And Metastasis In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,006.00
Summary
Despite advances in treatment and diagnostics breast cancer (BC) remains one of the leading causes of death in women. Metastases and tumour blood vessel recruitment are linked. Work by Dr Mellick and others has shown that host bone marrow contributes endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to tumour vasculature. The chemokines and their receptors, which differentiate EPCs from tumour vessels, will be knocked down in the tumour cells and EPC progenitors with the aim of preventing tumour spread.
Mechanistic And Functional Analysis Of The Id4 Proto-oncogene In Breast And Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$693,983.00
Summary
Cancer arises through damage to normal regulatory processes in cells. Understanding these damaged processes is essential to implement personalized medicine. This proposal explores the role of the proto-oncogene ID4 in the closely related cancers triple negative breast cancer and serous ovarian cancer. This research may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies or the refinement of existing strategies for these poor prognosis cancers.
Temporal Trends In The Incidence, Site And Survival Of Metastatic Breast Cancer In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,494.00
Summary
There have been major advances in breast cancer treatment over the last decade. This project will use information collected from the NSW cancer registry and hospitals to report on changes in the type and risk of breast cancer spread and survival for women with a new diagnosis of breast cancer before and after new treatments introduced since 2005. This information is essential for doctors to provide women with up-to-date information; and for planning appropriate health services and research.