Solving the family mystery

Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Program

Revolutionary advances in mapping and analysing genetic factors common to some forms of cancers – such as colorectal, lung, breast, and prostate cancers – has led to a greater understanding of these diseases, and in some cases, improved treatments for them.

Despite this, why some families are more at risk than others of developing certain cancers, remains unknown.

The Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Program aims to further identify genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the inherited predisposition to developing cancer.

This cross-disciplinary program sees collaboration between clinicians, ethicists, geneticists and statisticians from the Centre for Law and Genetics at the University of Tasmania, Menzies Research Institute, Royal Hobart Hospital, and the Tasmanian Cancer Registry.

Boosting the Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Program’s capabilities is the recently opened ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Centre, made possible with a $1.1 million grant from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

The new ACRF centre houses a versatile liquid handling robot, a laser dissection microscope and computer systems which  will substantially increase research capacity , enabling researchers to maximise the opportunities available for performing research into inherited cancers in Tasmania.

For families living in the shadow of inherited cancers, this could mean more answers, more quickly.

Eventually the ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Centre will enable the Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Program to expand its investigations to other types of cancer.

Robot

 

The ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Centre robot can screen thousands of blood and tissue samples for genetic markers that could be important to identifying the onset and progress of cancer.

EppMotion 5075TMX is a liquid handling and pipetting robot that significantly reduces time taken and staff needed for routine laboratory work while accuracy, efficiency precision is increased and waste is minimised.

It is suited to a range of applications including DNA/RNA extractions, genotyping, and DNA sequencing.

Laser microscope

The Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Program uses the ACRF Centre’s Palm Laser Dissection Microscope to dissect prostate tumour samples and individual chromosomes for its blood cancers projects.

The team working on the Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour disease has taken advantage of access to the microscope, and its fluorescence and bright field capabilities have benefited studies of malarial infection, and neuronal repair.

 

Tasmanian Familial Prostate Cancer Genetics Study

Based on pathology records and tissue samples from more than 1000 people with and without cancer – including about 50 families – the Tasmanian Familial Prostate Cancer Genetics Study aims to identify genetic factors contributing to prostate cancer risk.

Collaboration with PRACTICAL, (an international consortium investigating the genetics of prostate cancer) resulted in identification of seven new genes associated with this risk. Independently this research group has found a further gene that appears to be important in determining prostate tumour cell behaviour related to inherited prostate cancer risk.

Tasmanian Familial Haematological Malignancies Study

Large Tasmanian families who experienced multiple cases of blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma have been recruited as part of the Tasmanian Familial Haematological Malignancies Study.

This study, enabling the development of a valuable familial genetic resource, also uses the resources of the Menzies Research Institute genealogical database and Tasmanian Cancer Registry.

Also affiliated with the Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Research Program are projects exploring the epigenetics of cancer, and cancer immunology and photobiology (i.e. photobiology in relation to UV radiation and immunology in relation to skin cancers including melanoma).

Read Full Media Release: Advanced cancer research facility opens at Menzies

Visit Grant Page: Menzies Research Institute, Tasmania