Clinical Utility Of A Novel Serum Marker, Serum Mesothelin Family Protein (SMF) In Mesothelioma Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$323,250.00
Summary
Asbestos fibres can cause a number of cancers, one of the most aggressive and untreatable being mesothelioma. Unfortunately mesothelioma is largely resistant to the main forms of therapy: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The average survival from diagnosis is only 8.5 months. It is sometimes difficult to diagnose mesothelioma and additional tests would be useful. Also, a simple screening test may be able to detect the earlier stages of this disease, and allow for early treatment, w ....Asbestos fibres can cause a number of cancers, one of the most aggressive and untreatable being mesothelioma. Unfortunately mesothelioma is largely resistant to the main forms of therapy: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The average survival from diagnosis is only 8.5 months. It is sometimes difficult to diagnose mesothelioma and additional tests would be useful. Also, a simple screening test may be able to detect the earlier stages of this disease, and allow for early treatment, would be of widespread value to the community. Markers of cancer can be detected in the blood for a number of cancers e.g. prostate, colon, liver and ovary. No reliable serum marker for the presence of mesothelioma has been described and this study describes work aimed at further evaluating a novel marker that we have been researching in collaboration with a group from Seattle, USA. Mesothelin is a protein made in mesothelial tissue such as mesothelioma. When an individual develops mesothelioma the levels increase in the blood. Also, a proportion of individuals increased levels of this molecule can be detected prior to presentation. This means that it may become a useful screening tool in asbestos-exposed individuals and might be a clinical indicator of the need for further testing and, if early disease is found, early treatments. Given that early treatment of cancer is more effective than late treatment in most clinical situations, this is likely to improve the prognosis for this disease. For this marker to be clinically useful, a careful correlation between its level in the blood and the exact amount of tumour that is present (based on precised computerised tomography x-ray measurements of the tumour) are important. The findings of this study may have widespread implications for patients with mesothelioma and individuals at risk of developing mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos.Read moreRead less
Serum Mesothelin-related Protein As An Early Marker Of Mesothelioma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,750.00
Summary
The deadly asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma is continuing to kill tens of thousands of individuals per year and its incidence is increasing. It is expected to cost communities hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation. This disease is usually already quite advanced by the time a patients presents to a doctor with symptoms so we have been working on methods of early detection. This project studies a new, exciting method of diagnosis using blood levels of a molecule called 'SMRP'. Late l ....The deadly asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma is continuing to kill tens of thousands of individuals per year and its incidence is increasing. It is expected to cost communities hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation. This disease is usually already quite advanced by the time a patients presents to a doctor with symptoms so we have been working on methods of early detection. This project studies a new, exciting method of diagnosis using blood levels of a molecule called 'SMRP'. Late last year we published a paper in the prestigious journal Lancet showing that SMRP was a good test to help diagnose mesothelioma and this became a lead news item around the world because of widespread concern about this disease. In those studies we found strong clues that this test was very sensitive and could detect mesothelioma a year or so before a patient develops symptoms. In this grant we will evaluate whether this test could be useful for screening asbestos-exposed individuals for early detection of this cancer. We will also study ways of improving the test using laboratory methods. This would provide a foundation for studies aimed at determining if early treatment could improve patient survival.Read moreRead less
Development And Validation Of A Finite Element Model For Orthopaedic Screw Insertion Into Trabecular Bone
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,454.00
Summary
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that results in reduced bone strength and susceptibility to fragility fractures. Due to the spongy nature of osteoporotic bone, surgeons face major difficulties in obtaining secure fixation of bone screws. Our aim is to develop and validate a computer model of orthopaedic screw insertion into trabecular bone based on micro-computed tomography image data. This will allow an assessment of the most appropriate screw designs for stable fixation of implants.
The rapid interactions of circulating human blood platelets is critical to prevent bleeding, but can cause thrombotic diseases (heart attack, stroke). These highly regulated interactions involve specific adhesive proteins. Our studies will define factors regulating platelet interactions. Imaging the thrombotic process will quantify platelet function at an unprecedented resolution and we have a panel of new candidate reagents that will be assessed for antithrombotic potential.