Small Molecule Inhibitors To Reprogram The Tumour Environment And Improve Immunotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$784,520.00
Summary
Cancer blood vessels are different to normal blood vessels; they help cancer cells to spread and stop immune cells in their tracks. We have identified drugs which help to make cancer blood vessels more normal and also bring immune cells into the cancer core. We will test these drugs in combination with immunotherapies, a new treatment option which has not reached its full potential in the clinic. Since our drug candidates are already in clinical use, we expect to fast track clinical development.
Tailoring Treatment Strategies For NRF2-driven Lung Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$923,501.00
Summary
Lung cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related death in Australia. Mutations in the KEAP1 gene are observed in a high number of lung cancer patients. These abnormalities are associated with poor prognosis, but may also present an opportunity to specifically target these cancer cells. We will utilise preclinical models to identify new personalised treatment strategies for patients that carry KEAP1 mutations.
Elucidating The Function Of Rho-ROCK Signalling In The Regulation Of Cancer Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,568.00
Summary
As cancers progress from benign to more malignant forms, the way in which cancer cells respond to external influences changes dramatically. These cells subvert the normal interactions between proteins which pass signals from outside the cell to the inside, to control cell behaviour and assume a survival advantage. We plan to study a form of cell signalling that is often abnormal in cancer in order to identify technologies for limiting cancer growth and spread by interfering with these signals.