Development of a novel therapy for the treatment of epidermal squamous cell carcinoma

Funded Activity Summary

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) are the most common life-threatening form of skin cancer in Australia. SCCs commonly arise in areas of the body that have been exposed to excessive amounts of UV irradiation. The cells of the skin from which SCCs are derived are called keratinocytes. UV irradiation causes lesions within these cells such that their growth and maturation are disrupted leading to deregulated growth and maturation and hence tumour formation. We have previously identified a protein, E2F, that is central to this process and whose inhibition leads to decreased cancer cell growth. During the course of these studies we noted that the deregulation of E2F could also lead to the disruption of keratinocyte maturation. This led us to propose that the inhibition of E2F in SCCs may result in both decreased cancer cell growth as well as the reinstatement of a normal maturation process. this would make E2F inhibitors a very attractive therapeutic for treating SCC. In the present study we aim to explore the ability and the mechanism by which E2F modulates keratinocyte proliferation and maturation. This will be done in vitro as well as in animal models of SCC. These studies will be required in order to take the E2F inhibitors into clinical trials.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2004

End Date: 01-01-2006

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $432,750.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Oncology And Carcinogenesis

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

E2F | cell cycle | epithelial differentiation | head and neck cancer | proliferation | skin cancer | solid tumours | squamous cell carcinoma

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