Improving Treatment Outcomes For Malignant Mesothelioma Patients Using Biomarkers.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$795,262.00
Summary
The deadly asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma is continuing to kill tens of thousands of people each year. Most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. In this study we will use novel biomarkers to help the diagnosis of mesothelioma and potentially improve treatment options for patients.
Role Of The Inositol Polyphosphate 4-phosphatase Type 2 In Human Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$611,032.00
Summary
Breast cancer is the most invasive cancer in females, affecting 1 in 9 women before the age of 85. Normally cells only divide when they receive a stimulus from a hormone or growth factor. The PI3K pathway responds to these stimuli and has been implicated in cancer when cells divide uncontrollably and invade surrounding tissue. We have identified a potential cancer suppressing gene, 4-ptase-2 that turns off the PI3K growth signals. We aim to characterize the role of 4-ptase-2 in breast cancer.
Gastric Cancer: Early Detection Of Disease, Relapse And Prediction Of Extent Of Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,800.00
Summary
Gastric cancer (GC) is the second commonest cause of cancer in the world. The mainstay of treatment for GC is surgical resection, but despite improvements in surgical interventions the mortality rate remains high. The 5 year survival rate of GC is about 30% over 5 years. Accurate staging is fundamental to the management of GC and current investigations are inadequate. It has become possible to measure the activity of thousands of genes to identify those genes that predict whether a patient will ....Gastric cancer (GC) is the second commonest cause of cancer in the world. The mainstay of treatment for GC is surgical resection, but despite improvements in surgical interventions the mortality rate remains high. The 5 year survival rate of GC is about 30% over 5 years. Accurate staging is fundamental to the management of GC and current investigations are inadequate. It has become possible to measure the activity of thousands of genes to identify those genes that predict whether a patient will survive or succumb to their disease. We propose to use gene expression profiling to predict the risk of recurrence of gastric cancer in patients. We will examine over 270 tumours and use an independent group of patients to evaluate the test. We aim to develop a test that will help the clinician decide the type of surgical resection to perform or whether to give adjuvant chemotherapy. The test may also guide the use of more specific anticancer drugs. Early detection of GC is very important because patients with early stage GC have better outcome. We have already analysed over 60 GC tumours with microarrays and found genes that are specifically expressed by the tumours that are potential candidates as cancer markers. We plan to examine more cases of GC, both to find more genes and validate our candidate genes as tumour markers. We also want to look for patterns of proteins in blood of patients that identifies GC and use this pattern to follow patient progress to treatment.Read moreRead less
MicroRNA Expression Profiling Of Eutopic Endometrium In Women With Versus Without Endometriosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$224,211.00
Summary
Endometriosis is a medical condition where endometrium grows outside the womb. About 10% of women have this condition that can cause abdominal pain, painful periods and difficulty conceiving a child. Now endometriosis can only be diagnosed by surgical procedure. We believe that the presence of endometriosis causes particular small molecules called microRNAs to be present in the lining of the womb or in the blood only in women with endometriosis, and we could develop a test for endometriosis with ....Endometriosis is a medical condition where endometrium grows outside the womb. About 10% of women have this condition that can cause abdominal pain, painful periods and difficulty conceiving a child. Now endometriosis can only be diagnosed by surgical procedure. We believe that the presence of endometriosis causes particular small molecules called microRNAs to be present in the lining of the womb or in the blood only in women with endometriosis, and we could develop a test for endometriosis without resorting to surgery.Read moreRead less
Biomarkers For The Diagnosis Of Childhood TB: Validation In A High TB Prevalence Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$948,086.00
Summary
The WHO highlights the urgent need for new diagnostic tests to combat the global TB pandemic. Diagnosis of TB is particularly difficult in children. In our previous NHMRC-funded Melbourne-based study we found promising diagnostic markers in blood which can differentiate patients with and without TB. This project has the potential to revolutionise the diagnosis of TB by providing data that will enable the development of a new generation of diagnostic tests.
Tackling Key Epidemiological And Basic Scientific Research Issues In Prion Diseases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,109.00
Summary
Proposed Practitioner Fellowship research will simultaneously include epidemiological and basic scientific projects, emphasising human prion disease. Epidemiological research will involve large-scale studies to clarify genetic factors that influence susceptibility to developing prion disease, as well as clarify whether Alzheimer disease is transmissible, while basic scientific research will include determining the characteristics of the misfolded prion proteins causing neuronal disease.