Strategies For Enhancing The Treatment Of Colon Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,785.00
Summary
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer related death in Australia. Strategies to improve outcomes for these patients are urgently needed. This NHMRC SRF Fellowship will seek to identify new molecules in cancer cells which can be targeted to treat this disease, and to discover genes which can be used to improve patient response to treatment.
Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Hedgehog Signaling In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,937.00
Summary
Breast cancer cells create the conditions for their own survival by communicating their needs to the healthy cells that surround them. We have previously shown that a molecule known as ‘hedgehog’ transmits biochemical signals between breast cancer cells and healthy cells. When hedgehog is ‘silenced’, tumours shrink and stop their spread. In this application, we will identify the cells receiving the hedgehog signal and identify how they support the growth and spread of breast cancers.
Identifying Castrate-resistant Tumour Cells In Localised Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$573,047.00
Summary
This proposal addresses one of the most important challenges in cancer: what cell population ‘drives’ tumour progression, and how can it be effectively targeted? We will define the prostate cancer cells that survive androgen withdrawal therapy and investigate new ways to target them. Eliminating these important cells earlier in disease progression will lead to increased survival for men with prostate cancer.
TARGETING OF G-CSF IN COMBINATION WITH STANDARD THERAPY FOR ADVANCED BREAST CANCER
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,166.00
Summary
Nearly all deaths caused by breast cancer are due to the spread of the cancer to other tissues such as lung and bone, ultimately leading to organ failure and death. The process of spread of cancer cells is not well understood, but it is becoming clear that cells of the immune system are key regulators of the spread of breast cancer. It is the aim of this project to target two types of immune cells, macrophages and neutrophils, seeking therapies that prevent the growth of secondary cancers.
The critical role of the class III histone deacetylase SIRT2 in stabilizing N-Myc oncoprotein. Cancer is the commonest cause of death from disease in children. Neuroblastoma is the commonest solid tumor in early childhood. This project will investigate the critical roles of SIRT2 protein in increasing the expression of N-Myc oncoprotein and consequently inducing neuroblastoma, and SIRT2 inhibitors as anticancer agents.
Mitochondrially targeted anti-cancer drugs modulate the mitochondrial genome. Successful cancer management requires novel therapeutical approaches. This project will test the effect of a new class of compounds that target mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells, where they suppress expression of mitochondrial genes. By this mechanism, cancers that are resistant to apoptosis induction can be inhibited.
Understanding And Targeting Acquired Chemoresistance In High-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$527,824.00
Summary
We recently discovered a mutation in recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer that causes profound overexpression of the multidrug resistance pump, MDR1 (Patch et al Nature 2015). In this study I will explore approaches to reverse drug resistance caused by this mutation in recurrent ovarian cancer with a view to utilising alternative treatments to improve patient outcomes.
Transient Tissue ‘priming’ Via FAK Inhibition To Impair Pancreatic Cancer Progression And Improve Sensitivity To Gemcitabine/Abraxane
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,848.00
Summary
The success of cancer drugs is dependent on many factors including the properties of the tumour tissue. As a tumour grows it changes the tissue around it, and this affects response to treatment. Combining classical biology with engineering to generate 3D models that mimic tumours, along with cutting-edge imaging technology and mouse models, we will target FAK-controlled cancer cell pathways that sense tissue changes, together with already approved cancer drugs to improve patient outcome.
Investigation Of DUSP5 As A Novel Tumour Suppressor Gene In Colon Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,268.00
Summary
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death in Australia. Understanding the genetic causes of this disease are essential to developing new treatment strategies. The goal of this study is to understand the role of the DUSP5 gene in colon cancer. The findings of this study has the potential to further our understanding of how colon cancers arise and for identifying patients likely to respond to specific existing treatments.
Reversing The Biomechanical Dysregulation Of Cancer Cell Signalling To Improve Targeted Therapies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$663,447.00
Summary
The limited success of cancer drugs is dependent on many factors including the physical properties (stiffness) of a tumour. In particular whether a tumour is soft or stiff affects how it responds to treatment. Combining classical biology with engineering to generate 3D models that mimic tumours, along with cutting-edge imaging technology, we will determine how we can target the physical properties of tumours together with already approved cancer drugs to improve treatment and patient outcome.