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Tubulovillous Adenomas In Colorectal Tumorigenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$295,983.00
Summary
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer affecting Australians today, and half of all patients will not survive their disease. Bowel cancer grows from small growths called polyps. In this project, we aim to investigate changes in genes found in a particularly aggressive type of bowel polyp called a tubulovillous adenoma. A better understanding of these gene changes will aid the future development of molecular tests for early detection and therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer.
The CpG Island Methylator Phenotype In Colorectal Cancer - Pathways And Precursors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$517,272.00
Summary
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting Australians. It will affect 1-23 Australians and is a leading cause of cancer-related death. If diagnosed early, bowel cancer is curable with surgery. Unfortunately, symptoms are often not present until the cancer is advanced, when the cure rate is only 55%. It has been recognised that there are different types of bowel cancer depending on different genes which can be inactivated abnormally. We propose that there are at least four differen ....Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting Australians. It will affect 1-23 Australians and is a leading cause of cancer-related death. If diagnosed early, bowel cancer is curable with surgery. Unfortunately, symptoms are often not present until the cancer is advanced, when the cure rate is only 55%. It has been recognised that there are different types of bowel cancer depending on different genes which can be inactivated abnormally. We propose that there are at least four different subgroups of bowel tumours, and that each of these may have different physical properties and responses to therapy. We aim to better characterise these subgroups to increase our understanding of how normal bowel can change into a small polyp, that may grow into a cancer. Understanding the gene changes leading to each subtype of bowel cancer will in the future allow the development gene markers for early detection as well as the possibility of individualised patient therapy. We are also studying tiny biopsies of normal bowel tissue from patients either with or without polyps, to try to understand the very earliest changes which may underly the development of a bowel polyp.Read moreRead less
Molecular Mechanisms Of Protein Function And Pharmacology In Neuroscience And Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,005.00
Summary
I have been a Fellow 19 years. It allows me to think strategically on a broader canvass. I am a world authority in endocytosis (how cells interact with the outside world), drug discovery, and protein function, in disciplines of neuroscience and cancer. The outcome will be the first human trials of endocytosis modulators in cancer and epilepsy. Secondly, we will use our new International ProCan Centre to produce a transformational rapid cancer diagnostic and provide new cancer treatment options.
Sensitive Serum Markers For Improved Diagnosis, Monitoring And Screening For Early Detection Of Mesothelioma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,880.00
Summary
The deadly asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma is continuing to kill tens of thousands of individuals per year and its incidence is increasing. Mesothelioma is predicted to cost communities hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation. This disease is unusually difficult to diagnose and tends to be already quite advanced by the time patients present to the doctor with symptoms. Unfortunately, treatment options for the majority of patients are limited and most die within a year of diagnosis. ....The deadly asbestos-induced cancer mesothelioma is continuing to kill tens of thousands of individuals per year and its incidence is increasing. Mesothelioma is predicted to cost communities hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation. This disease is unusually difficult to diagnose and tends to be already quite advanced by the time patients present to the doctor with symptoms. Unfortunately, treatment options for the majority of patients are limited and most die within a year of diagnosis. In different forms of cancer, levels of certain proteins in the blood can be measured and have been shown to indicate the presence of tumour and in some cases the extent of tumour. These proteins are collectively known as tumour markers. Tumour markers for ovarian, prostate, breast and other cancers are used by doctors to help with the diagnosis of specific cancers, to monitor the patients response to treatment and to give a valuable early warning of remission or relapse. There is no tumour marker currently used for patients with mesothelioma. We have shown in early studies published in the prestigious journal The Lancet that soluble mesothelin related protein (SMRP) is actually elevated in more than 75% of mesothelioma patients and in less than 2% of patients with other cancer and non-cancer lung diseases. In this current project we plan to extend our studies looking at blood levels of SMRP to see if they will help in the care of patients with mesothelioma. So far we have done most of the work in a particular group of patients, but it is vital that the work be extended to other groups with different types and durations of exposure to asbestos and to different areas of the country. As part of that we need to test how stable the molecule is in blood samples, because if it is not very stable it wont be a very pratical test. We also plan to look at some other markers that have been clinically useful in other forms of cancer and we will try to identify new, novel mesothelioma specific markers. This work has the potential to impact on patient care in many centres of the world.Read moreRead less
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.
Mechanisms Of Action Of The Zinc Finger Protein LMO4 In Breast Oncogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$272,859.00
Summary
Breast cancer is the most common cancer to strike Australian women, affecting one in 12 women by age 75. Although treatment of breast cancer has substanially improved over the last few years, approximately 25% of women diagnosed with this cancer will die from the disease. A major objective of cancer research is the identification of genes involved in tumour development and definition of their precise role in both normal and cancer cells. The design of new effective therapeutic inhibitors of canc ....Breast cancer is the most common cancer to strike Australian women, affecting one in 12 women by age 75. Although treatment of breast cancer has substanially improved over the last few years, approximately 25% of women diagnosed with this cancer will die from the disease. A major objective of cancer research is the identification of genes involved in tumour development and definition of their precise role in both normal and cancer cells. The design of new effective therapeutic inhibitors of cancer requires an understanding of the basic molecular and cellular biology behind the genetic changes that contribute to cancer. The focus of our research is to understand normal cellular mechanisms that drive growth and differentiation of breast tissue, and those changes that lead to breast cancer. We are particularly interested in 'master regulators' that are located in the cell nucleus. Nuclear regulators have been implicated in many different types of cancer and leukaemias. We aim to identify the key regulators in breast tissue, characterising both their biological roles and mechanism of action, with the ultimate view of understanding how they divert a normal cell to a cancerous cell. This proposal centres on the characterisation of a specific nuclear regulatory molecule, LMO4, which we have demonstrated to be overexpressed in 56% of human primary breast cancers. Significantly, we have recently shown that overexpression of LMO4 predicts poor outcome in breast cancer patients. We have also shown that this protein interacts with the breast tumour suppressor protein BRCA1, as well as a number of other proteins. These studies will include defining LMO4 s role in governing cell growth in breast cancer cells and that of the proteins that bind to this regulator. We will also assess the role of LMO4 in controlling cell invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells in mouse models since we have preliminary evidence that it may be a critical regulator of these processes.Read moreRead less
Interplay Between Mutant P53 And PML; Implications For Tumourigenesis.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$483,737.00
Summary
The most important agent of the body for fighting cancer is the cellular protein p53. In more than 50% of all human cancers, it looses its anticancer properties through mutation. In an insidious manner this new mutant form then acts to promote cancer. To better treat cancer we need to understand how mutant p53 functions. We will study how it interacts with its molecular partners in cancer cells.
Characterisation Of A Novel PI3-kinase Signal Terminating Enzyme In Breast Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$633,512.00
Summary
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among females, affecting 1 in 9 women before the age of 85. Normally cells divide only when they receive a stimulus from a hormone or growth factor. The PI3K pathway which responds to these stimuli has been implicated in cancer where cells divide uncontrollably and invade surrounding tissue. We have identified a potential cancer suppressing gene, PIPP, which turns off PI3K growth signals. We aim to characterize the role of PIPP in breast cancer.
Circulating Tumour DNA As A Marker Of Complete Pathological Response And Long Term Outcome For Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Treated With Pre-operative Chemoradiotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$613,183.00
Summary
Rectal cancers are often treated by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery which may result in long-term stoma. A significant proportion of these patients can achieve complete remission to CRT alone. This project will assess the accuracy of a promising blood marker (circulating tumour DNA) for predicting response to treatment in patients with rectal cancer undergoing CRT. If confirmed to be a reliable marker, this test could be used to select patients who may be able to avoid or delay surge ....Rectal cancers are often treated by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery which may result in long-term stoma. A significant proportion of these patients can achieve complete remission to CRT alone. This project will assess the accuracy of a promising blood marker (circulating tumour DNA) for predicting response to treatment in patients with rectal cancer undergoing CRT. If confirmed to be a reliable marker, this test could be used to select patients who may be able to avoid or delay surgery.Read moreRead less