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Companion Biomarker And Therapeutic Strategy Development For Pancreatic Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$121,031.00
Summary
Innovation of predictive and responsive biomarkers in pancreatic cancer (PC) is of paramount importance. This project contains two parts: 1. Circulating DNA. It has been shown previously that DNA released into the blood stream by cancer can be measured, its usefulness in PC will be assessed. 2. ROCK-I as a predictive biomarker. ROCK-I is a protein involved in cell motility. The ability for ROCK-I amplification to predict for response to ROCK-I inhibitors will be assessed in vitro/in vivo.
Novel Targeted Onco-theranostic Nanoparticles For Personalised Therapy And Real-time Monitoring
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
I will develop novel specific cancer therapies using next generation nanoparticles. These particles will deliver highly potent drugs to cancerous tissue avoiding damage to healthy organs. My project has the potential to increase the quality of life and survival of patients suffering from the most invasive/malignant cancers, including breast and prostate cancer.
Chemotherapy causes a massive depletion of blood-producing cells in the bone marrow. This results in a condition known as myelosuppression that has many harmful side effects for cancer patients. Our aim is to develop a safe and inexpensive approach that will specifically protect the blood-producing cells from chemotherapy but leave the cancer cells sensitive. If this treatment shows significant benefits in mouse models of cancer then the establishment of clinical trials will be initiated.
A Targeted Drug Delivery System For Treatment Of Bone Metastasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$243,607.00
Summary
The most common site where cancer spreads is the bone. Once it happens, it can dramatically affect patient’s quality of life and chance of survival. Current treatments are mostly palliative or associate with acute side effects due to systematic administration of anticancer drugs and their inability to selectively target the diseased area. This study aims to develop a nanocarrier that can uptake, protect and deliver anticancer drugs to the affected site in bone.
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer related death in Australia. While there are now a number of treatment options for patients with colon cancer, there is significant variability in response among patients to individual drugs. This NHMRC project grant will seek to identify genetic markers which predict the likelihood of a patient responding to a specific therapy. This will enable individual patients to be treated with the drug most likely to be of benefit to them.
Cancer Chemo-immunotherapy: Exploiting The Immunogenic Momentum Of Cytotoxic Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$917,490.00
Summary
We recently found that chemotherapy has beneficial effects on the immune response against cancer rather than ill effects. Here we want to exploit this positive effect by combining different chemotherapeutics with immune-stimulating treatments in laboratory models. These studies will result in a better understanding of how chemotherapy influences the immune system, and may also result in new combinations that improve the effectiveness of cancer therapy.
Cancer Genetics, Epigenetics And Targeted Therapies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$873,684.00
Summary
I aim to gain greater insight into how blood cancers arise and how we should ultimately treat patients with these diseases. I will identify the genetic defects that underpin the development of blood cancers, how these genetic defects de-regulate gene expression through so-called “epigenetic” changes to allow these abnormal blood cells grow and survive. I will test the activity of small molecules that interfere with the cancer-causing epigenetic and signaling pathways in experimental models.
Programmed cell death regulates the fate of cells during development and adult life. Working at the frontier of biology and chemistry, I lead research programs committed to uncovering cell death processes implicated in a wide range of diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases and tissue damage. I will develop novel small molecules that will act as powerful tools to increase our understanding of how cell death participates in these conditions and help develop new drugs to treat them.
Big Data To Real World Evidence: Informing Pharmaceutical Policy Decisions Around Targeted Cancer Medicines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,073.00
Summary
The proposed research will examine the use of targeted cancer therapies in Australia. At present there is little evidence around how these medications are being used in the real world, medical services their use requires, and costs associated with their use. Analysing linked, routinely collected health data, this project will generate new scientific and methodological knowledge about the use and impact of targeted cancer therapies available via publicly funded access programs in Australia.
Delineating Mechanisms Of Acquired Resistance To Kinase Inhibitors And Devising Novel Strategies To Combat Therapeutic Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
Kinase inhibitors are some of the most successful anti-cancer agents that have emerged in the last 15 years. However, tumors become resistant to these drugs after showing initial response. Understanding mechanisms through which cancer cells become resistant to these drugs will allow us to develop effective strategies to counter it and achieve sustained responses to cancer therapy. I propose to build a research program to systematically study these mechanisms to improve cancer therapeutics.