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Long-term In Vivo Imaging Of Bone Marrow Microenvironments In Multiple Myeloma.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$688,371.00
Summary
White blood cells are soldiers of the immune system. When the machinery that controls growth and death of these cells is disrupted, these cells can undergo massive expansion. This leads to the development of blood cancers such as multiple myeloma (MM). In MM, malignant cells infiltrate bones preventing production of blood and damaging the bone structure leading to fractures. Using cutting edge microcopy we will watch how MM cells grow and damage bone tissue to develop new therapeutic approaches.
Control Of Haematological Cancers By Natural Killer Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
Haematological cancers affect the blood and lymphoid organs and are generally lethal. Therapies targeting the anti-tumour capacities of the immune system have shown promising results in cancer patients. Natural Killer (NK) cells are key players of anti-tumour immune responses. This project will provide a better understanding of NK cell-mediated control of haematological malignancies that will be directly applied to the design of new curative therapies for blood cancer patients.
The Role Of NK Cell Receptors In Tumor Immunity And Cancer Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$641,264.00
Summary
White blood cells lymphocytes have an important role to play in cancer immunity and the activity of some cancer therapies. Therapeutics that improve lymphocyte function in patient tumors are showing great promise. Yet, virtually nothing is known about one family of lymphocyte receptors that control function in cancer. Using relevant mouse models of cancer and patient tumors we now wish to assess the relative importance of this family of receptors in tumor immunity, therapy, and escape.
The Effect Of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors On The Bone Environment In Multiple Myeloma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,899.00
Summary
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological malignancy with 1,400 people diagnosed each year. Severe bone loss occurs in up to 90% of these patientssignificantly impacting on quality of life resulting in severe bone pain and bone lesions that fail to heal. This project proposes that a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor could provide an appropriate therapeutic strategy that inhibits tumor growth and prevents bone loss whilst also promoting bone repair.
Why Is The Bone Marrow A “hot-spot” For Myeloma Plasma Cell Metastasis: Are There Gremlins In The System?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,979.00
Summary
Most cancer patients die because their cancer spreads from a primary site to other tissues in the body. Once escaping the primary site, 70% of all tumours will spread to bone. This raises the question, why is bone a preferred destination for cancer cells? We provide evidence that Gremlin1, made by non-cancer cells within bone, is a key protein that supports cancer growth. This study will examine whether inhibiting Gremlin1 is a potential therapy to inhibit cancer spreading to bone.
Understanding The Mechanisms Of Substrate And Ubiquitin Lysine Specificity During Ubiquitination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$573,993.00
Summary
Ubiquitin is a small molecule which controls all facets of a cell's growth and biology, such as growth. Ubiquitin functions by being attached to proteins in cells to alter their function and hence a particular chemical pathway. How ubiquitin is attached to proteins is poorly understood. This studiy will unveil how enzymes termed Ubcs attach ubiquitin to proteins, which is fundamental to understanding how ubiquitn controls cell functions.
Analysis Of Circulating Tumour DNA For Mutational Characterisation And Tracking Disease Progression In Multiple Myeloma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$908,676.00
Summary
Multiple myeloma is cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow and presents at multiple sites with dissimilar genetic information (GI) across these sites. Invasive biopsies of multiple sites are required to determine the GI. Cancer cells shed small amounts of DNA into the blood stream and this circulating DNA (ctDNA) contains GI from multiple cancer sites. This project will evaluate the utility of ctDNA to determine GI and to predict treatment response in MM patients.
Myeloma Plasma Cell Dormancy - 'Eradicating The Sleeping Giant'
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$834,428.00
Summary
Multiple myeloma is a fatal cancer that develops in the skeleton. Current therapies are initially effective, but patients develop resistance and the disease returns. This makes the search for drugs to overcome resistance a priority. Myeloma cells can hide in bone in a dormant state where they are insensitive to chemotherapy. We have identified new drug targets in dormant cells. We are investigating whether these new targets can be used eradicate myeloma cells and cure the disease.