Support of cancer research in Australia turns ideas into information Posted on November 14, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit Each year, ACRF challenges the Australian cancer research community to propose projects that are bold and have the potential to make a significant impact on cancer prevention, detection and treatment. Eleven projects were submitted from across the country and evaluated by ACRF’s esteemed Medical Research Advisory Committee who were impressed by the quality and vision of the applications. From these, four were chosen to receive grants. “Thanks to the generosity of our many supporters from around Australia each year we are able to award high-impact grants, allowing Australia’s best scientists to embark on ground-breaking research projects. These initiatives in cancer research cover all types of cancer and speed up discoveries, ultimately working to save lives by saving time,” said Professor Ian Brown, CEO of Australian Cancer Research Foundation. The recipients of the annual ACRF grants in 2016 are: ACRF Tumour Heterogeneity Program – $2 million to learn more about the mutation, internal variation, location and the impact of time on growth and treatment of tumours. Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), VIC ACRF Tumour Metabolism Laboratory – $2.5 million to determine the differences in nutrient metabolism by cancerous and normal cells to improve cancer treatments. Centenary Institute, NSW ACRF Cancer Ultrastructure and Function Facility – $2.3 million to provide microscopes that can see cancer cell behaviour and their response to drugs in order to stop the spread of cancer. Institute for Molecular Biosciences University of Queensland, QLD ACRF Blood Cancer Therapeutics Centre – $1.2 million to develop a national program to improve patient outcomes for multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukaemia. Monash University, VIC Since its inception, 32 years ago, ACRF has awarded $129.1 million in grants to Australian cancer research institutes across the country to pay for infrastructure and equipment. Funding from ACRF has helped get some of the most successful cancer research projects get off the ground, including the early support of the research that led to the cervical cancer vaccine. ACRF is dedicated to funding research in Australia that has the power to make significant breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and treatment and will continue to fund cutting-edge treatment until cancer no longer poses a threat to the health of Australians.
Technology boost to help address one of the biggest challenges facing cancer research today Posted on November 14, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A $2M grant from Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has been awarded to a Peter Mac-led application from members of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) to establish The ACRF Tumour Heterogeneity Program. This investment will see world-leading researchers from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and the University of Melbourne join forces to address one of the biggest challenges facing cancer research today. Tumour heterogeneity occurs when more than one distinct cancer mutation exists, either within one tumour or when there are variations of cancer mutations between tumour types. These mutations can evolve differently over time and cause significant challenges in designing effective treatment strategies. The Program will work towards a better understanding of the diversity of evolutionary changes that result from tumour heterogeneity, gaining information that will be critical to the development of strategies that overcome and/or exploit this diversity and ultimately improve patient survival across many cancer types. While cancer research efforts have reached a high level of sophistication, knowledge of the full extent of tumour heterogeneity remains limited, hindering efforts to understand patterns of tumour evolution, select effective therapies and combat treatment resistance in the clinical setting. “New technologies now provide us with unprecedented opportunities to research and understand fundamental questions about tumour heterogeneity,” says Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Associate Professor, Sarah Jane Dawson, who led the application on behalf of the partnership. “With ACRF’s support, the combined power of our laboratory and translational research will deepen our understanding of tumour heterogeneity and accelerate discoveries so they can directly benefit patients with cancer sooner,” says Associate Professor Dawson. “ACRF exists to challenge researchers and encourages them to look at new ways of working together in an effort to realise new insights and bold ideas. We are proud to continue to support the collaborative efforts of the VCCC,” says Professor Ian Brown, CEO Australian Cancer Research Foundation. “Many of the research institutes involved in this new initiative have received grants in the past from Australian Cancer Research Foundation, including Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne and Walter Eliza Hall Institute. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation is proud to continue to support the world-class cancer research at these institutes,” says Professor Brown.
Understanding the diet of tumours to help in the development of new cancer therapies Posted on November 14, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A $2.5M grant from Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) is being awarded to The Centenary Institute today to establish the new ACRF Tumour Metabolism Laboratory. The grant is a continuation of support to help researchers better understand the way cancer cells metabolise dietary nutrients and provide critical information to the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapies. Researchers will be focused on three fundamental and interlinked areas: nutrient uptake into tumours, sugar metabolism and fat metabolism. From this, they hope to ‘outsmart’ the cancer cells that have evolved to the point where other forms of treatment have become ineffective. “For years cancer researchers have focused on identifying specific changes in a patient’s genes which have been associated with cancer formation and growth, and developing therapeutics to target these changes. While this information is still vital, it is becoming clear that many cancer cells are skilful at bypassing specific genetic changes and this makes many targeted therapies only briefly effective,” says Professor Philip Hogg, Head of the ACRF–Centenary Cancer Research Centre. This reality has led to a renewed focus on a fundamental property of cancer cells that was identified some time ago: their irregular metabolism of dietary nutrients. “Technological advances and insights into how cancer develops have unleashed new opportunities for researchers to pioneer alternative approaches to treating cancer. This project is a shining example of ACRF’s support of projects exploring new ways to beat cancer. We’re excited at the potential it holds,” says Professor Ian Brown, CEO Australian Cancer Research Foundation. “The chief drivers of cancer, whether genetic or inflammatory, operate through altered metabolism. This research has the potential of developing therapeutics applicable to a wide range of tumours”, says Professor Mathew Vadas AO, Executive Director of the Centenary Institute. In addition to funding from ACRF, the Cancer Institute NSW has committed to supporting Centenary Institute by providing funding for the scientists that will carry out the research. Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow, said, “The ACRF Tumour Metabolism Laboratory provides an opportunity to gain important new knowledge of changes at the molecular level of tumours. The Cancer Institute NSW is proud to be partnering with the Australian Cancer Research Foundation in this exciting new initiative. By supporting researchers working in the lab, we hope to accelerate these important discoveries.” Research at the ACRF Tumour Metabolism Laboratory will focus on the role of nutrient metabolism particularly in endometrial, brain and triple-negative breast tumours. These cancers are among the most difficult to treat of all cancers. Endometrial cancer is diagnosed in more than 2,200 Australian women each year, accounts for 9.4% of all new cancer cases in women and has a 5-year survival rate of only 26%. Glioblastoma is the most common and most malignant brain tumour and in terms of years of life lost is the highest of all the malignant cancers. It is associated with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5% and a median survival rate of less than 15 months. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of cancer that accounts for 10-15% of all breast cancer cases. TNBC lacks a targeted therapy, has an increased rate of recurrence, and a lower 5-year survival rate compared to other breast cancer subtypes.
Cancer research gave Dad 13 more years to spend with our family Posted on November 13, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit “On April 8 I lost my dad to cancer. Just a month before, I watched as he walked up the hospital hallway by himself, achieving a goal he had been working towards with his physio team since his last surgery. It seemed impossible to most of us but he was always determined to get better. My dad lived with cancer for 13 years. There were many years where we thought to ourselves, ‘This is it. This is the last Father’s Day, this is the last Christmas’ but he always made it through. He had been fortunate that he qualified for many different medical trials throughout his illness. Every medication that came around, he would give it a go – no matter what. It was always something new, like a magic trick the researchers would pull out of a hat to give him more time. I am so thankful for cancer researchers. Their dedication to progress provided some of the newer treatments that not only gave him more time but improved his quality of life. This meant so much to him because it let him keep doing the things he loved, like travelling and spending time with his family. He was also able to keep working for the Fire Brigade. Everyone who knew my dad knew about his passion for his career, I feel like it was one of the things that kept him going. Following in his father’s footsteps, he first began as a volunteer firefighter and worked hard to earn a full time position as a fire investigator. He worked right up until the very end. He was such a fighter, not just as a fireman but in the way he refused to give up. Dad endured many different cancers over the last 13 years, including bowel, lung and bone. But it was brain cancer that took him in the end. I feel it was the worst for him to go through. My mum and I were playing all his favourite songs on his last day, dancing around his bed like mad women, he would have loved it. They say that hearing is the last thing to go, so I just know this would have made him happy. My dad always liked to make sure he thanked people when they helped him. So I wanted to thank cancer researchers on his behalf. I began supporting Australian Cancer Research Foundation to give other families more time with their loved ones. I know that together we can help researchers improve cancer prevention, detection and treatments for patients. It is my hope that one day cancer won’t be on anyone’s mind at Christmas.” – ACRF supporter, Jessica Broome Donate Share your story
Gypsys Gift: fighting cancer with music Posted on October 19, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Gemma and her fiancé, Jimi, started the band Gypsys Gift five years ago. Since then, the duo have won an Australian Independent Music Award, achieved rotation on Foxtel’s CMC and will shortly release their highly anticipated, debut album Chapters. Over the weekend, the band unveiled the new music video for their single, Feed the Fire, alongside a special announcement. “We do not ask that you buy our new song – we’re doing things a little differently this time. In support of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, we aim to create awareness of cancer research with the release of Feed the Fire. Our ONLY intention is to raise as much money as possible for cancer research. All funds raised will go directly to ACRF, and this will be an ongoing campaign for us.” said Gemma. “The last couple of years have been both incredible and heartbreaking for Jimi and I. We have travelled the world and experienced remarkable growth, but we have also been on a tough road. Two Christmases ago we were faced with the hard news that my Mum, Joanne, was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer. Mum underwent multiple major surgeries to remove half her liver, gall bladder, part of the bowel and lymph nodes. She then went through six months of chemotherapy treatment as a further measure to prevent the cancer coming back. This was a whole new world for my entire family. We felt very much in the dark as we had no experience and no understanding of what anything meant. It’s safe to say the journey was hard on all of us, especially on my Mum, step-dad and two brothers who lived through this every day. Slowly things began to feel normal again as Mum was recovering day by day. Although the physical and emotional scars of the cancer had not entirely faded, my Mum, being the warrior that she is, was soaring to better days. Then out of the blue, while I was on my way to a songwriting session, I received a phone call that would once again change the lives of myself and family. Mum had been re-diagnosed with terminal cancer of the liver. Hearing the news was like being in a movie. A fear that I have never felt, and didn’t quite comprehend, washed over me – I was now faced with losing my mother when she was only 48 years old. They say, as an adult you must carry on. But this time, it’s not been the case. This is now my life. I often describe it as living in a permanent nightmarish limbo-land. We all have our good days and our bad days, but my Mum has kept us all positive and moving forward. She has spent her entire life putting everyone else before herself, and even now, she wishes for nothing more than everyone else’s happiness. Mum has been fighting cancer for a couple of years now – in true grace. Her resilience, strength and courage is unfathomable and we stand by her side while she battles through this. This illness has turned the life of myself and my loved ones upside down, and this happens every day to families all over the world. Cancer does not discriminate; almost everyone has been touched by this illness in some way or another. This painful journey has inspired Jimi and me to help put an end to cancer, and we will not cure cancer without research. This is why we feel so passionately about ACRF. It is my belief that they are by far one of the most compassionate and forward-thinking foundations we know. We are determined to raise money for the research that we all so desperately need to stop this illness. Every little bit helps and I truly believe it raises the spirits of those struggling with cancer too. Great things happen when people work together.” ACRF supporters, Gemma & Jimi, Gypsys Gift. To support Gemma and Jimi, click here.
Cancer Research Breakthrough could help prevent breast cancer in high-risk women Posted on June 29, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have discovered that an existing medication could prevent breast cancer in women carrying a faulty BRCA1 gene. By pinpointing the cells that give rise to breast cancers in women who have inherited a faulty version of the BRCA1 gene, researchers have identified that the drug denosumab may have the potential to prevent breast cancer from developing. If confirmed in clinical studies, this would provide a non-surgical option to prevent breast cancer in women with elevated genetic risk. People who carry a faulty BRCA1 gene are at high risk of developing aggressive breast cancer. Currently, many women with the gene mutation choose surgical removal of their breast tissue and ovaries to reduce their chance of developing cancer. Using samples of breast tissue donated by women carrying the faulty gene, Ms Emma Nolan, Professor Jane Visvader and Professor Geoff Lindeman were able to pinpoint the cells that give rise to breast cancer. “Cancer precursor cells in BRCA1-mutant breast tissue had many similarities to aggressive forms of breast cancer,” said PhD student Ms Nolan. “These cells proliferated rapidly and were susceptible to damage to their DNA – both factors that help them transition towards cancer. We were excited to discover that these pre-cancerous cells could be identified by a marker protein called RANK.” Professor Lindeman, who is also a medical oncologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, said the discovery of RANK as a marker of cancer precursors was an important breakthrough because inhibitors of the RANK signalling pathway were already in clinical use. “An inhibitor called denosumab is already used in the clinic to treat osteoporosis and breast cancer that has spread to the bone,” he said. “Which is what led us to investigate what effect RANK inhibition had on the cancer precursor cells in BRCA1-mutant breast tissue.” The research team showed that RANK inhibition switched off cell growth in breast tissue from women with a faulty BRCA1 gene and curtailed breast cancer development in laboratory models. “We think this strategy could delay or prevent breast cancer in women with an inherited BRCA1 gene mutation,” Professor Lindeman said. A clinical trial has already begun to investigate this further. A concurrent study led by an Austrian group had also identified the importance of RANK. Both studies suggest that targeting RANK offers hope to women at high genetic risk for breast cancer. Professor Visvader said the discovery had its basis in more than a decade of investigations of breast stem cell function. “By thoroughly dissecting how normal breast tissue develops, we have been able to pinpoint the precise cells that are the culprits in cancer formation,” she said. “It is very exciting to think that we may be on the path to the ‘holy grail’ of cancer research, devising a way to prevent this type of breast cancer in women at high genetic risk.” The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported WEHI by providing three grants, totalling AUD 5.5million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology. The research was published in Nature Medicine. The original news post was published on the WEHI website.
Cancer researchers uncover new insight into MLL translocated leukaemia Posted on June 21, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne have found a new lead that could fast-track the development of a more targeted and effective treatment for MLL Translocated Leukaemia. More than 80% of infants diagnosed with either Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), and up to 10% of diagnosed adults, have a sub-type known as MLL Translocated Leukaemia. Prognosis for MLL Translocated Leukaemia is particularly poor with only 40- 50% of diagnosed infants likely to survive, and the five-year survival rates in older adults remaining at less than 20%. Peter Mac’s Professor Mark Dawson has studied Acute Leukaemia and this particular sub-type for a decade. He says the latest findings provide a step towards next-generation therapy for the disease, for which treatment has changed very little since the 1970s. “Every other disease that I’ve treated in my time as a haematologist has had one if not many, new drugs come along to improve treatment but this has not been the case for AML,” Professor Dawson said. “This is a disease where patients affected are often young and fit when first diagnosed but do not respond to conventional therapy.” Research by Professor Dawson’s team along with international collaborators has – for the first time – explained the role played by two proteins (BRD4 and DOT1L) which are known to be key regulators of MLL Translocated Leukaemia. His research identified a previously unknown cooperation between these proteins, showing how they depend on each other to progress the disease. Drugs which target both of these proteins are now in separate clinical trials as potential leukaemia treatments. Professor Dawson’s research suggests a combination therapy involving drugs that target both proteins at the same time may be an effective strategy against the disease. Professor Dawson’s findings explaining the interdependence of BRD4 and DOT1L in MLL Leukaemia has been published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. “We’ve always known that these leukaemias needed these regulators but what we didn’t know was why, and we didn’t know that they spoke to each other to drive the disease,” Professor Dawson said. “The good news is we don’t have to develop new drugs in light of this research because they are already here and in clinical trials,” Professor Dawson said. The original article was published on Peter Mac’s website. The image of Professor Dawson was provided courtesy of Peter Mac. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre by providing three grants, totalling AUD $7million, towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.
Cancer researchers ‘switch on’ Natural Killer cells to fight cancer Posted on June 8, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) researchers, led by Dr Sandra Nicholson and Dr Nicholas Huntington, together with colleagues from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), are investigating ways to ‘switch on’ our Natural Killer (NK) cells to fight cancer. The researchers identified a protein ‘brake’ within Natural Killer cells that controls their ability to destroy their target tumour cells. “Natural Killer cells exist to detect and then destroy any deviant cells in our bodies before those cells go on to develop into tumours or before infection spreads,” Dr Nicholson said. “Natural Killer cells are a key part of our immune system they work by locating other cells posing a danger to health either because they are infected or because they are becoming a cancer cell,” she continued. Our bodies are constantly and successfully fighting off the development of cells that lead to tumours – but when there is disruption to this process cancer is free to develop. In their paper published in Nature Immunology, they showed that when the brake was removed in an experimental model, the NK cells were better able to protect the body against metastatic melanoma. Natural Killer cells rely on a growth factor called Interleukin 15 (IL15) to activate. Dr Nicholson and Dr Huntington’s research has shown that an inhibitor protein made inside the Natural Killer cells limits the ability of the NK cell to respond to IL15 and therefore kill cancer cells. By identifying for the first time how this protein inhibits NK cell responses, they now hope that a drug can be developed that will improve the response of NK cells to this growth factor and help patients fight cancer with their own immune system. “This is about learning how to activate the NK cells of the individual patient and boost their immune system to tackle the disease,” Dr Huntington said. “We are hopeful our research will lead to new immunotherapies that supercharge the body’s Natural Killer cells and maintain it in a highly active state to more efficiently and specifically fight cancer.” The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported WEHI by providing three grants, totalling AUD 5.5million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology. The original news post including the YouTube video was published on WEHI website.
ACRF teams up with H&R Block to provide tax calculator that shows the true value of donations to cancer research Posted on June 2, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit This tax season, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has partnered with tax accountants, H&R Block to deliver an online calculator that tells individuals how much tax they will receive back from their donation, as well as exactly what their donation has the capacity to fund. The creative concept and implementation of the calculator was all thanks to pro-bono work done by M&C Saatchi’s creative team. “We hope that by being transparent and showing donors how much influence even a small donation can have on the work that’s being done in cancer research, it will help them understand how truly valuable their support is,” commented Professor Ian Brown, CEO of the ACRF. Last year, donations to the ACRF went towards equipment that is being used to further develop personalised cancer treatments, detect lung cancer before it spreads, and examine native Australian plants to see if they can be used to develop new cancer treatments. The ACRF has been a driving force behind cancer research for over 30 years. However, with success rates now less than 14 percent for applications to grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the organisation is keen to do all it can to increase the availability of vital funding. Advancements in technology are allowing researchers to analyse data like never before. But such technology is difficult to get funding for. The ACRF is the only national charity in Australia whose sole purpose is to make advanced equipment and technology more accessible to Australian cancer researchers, regardless of the type of cancer they study. This is helping prevent the best and brightest scientists from moving elsewhere or changing jobs. The support of H&R Block, as well as other corporate partners, continues to help ACRF provide the sector with the lifeline that it needs. “At H&R Block we value the health and wellbeing of all Australians, so we’re proud to assist ACRF in its goal to deliver the highest impact in an area of vital need. Too many people are suffering from the effects of cancer, so being even a small part of the solution is both humbling and gratifying,” said Brodie Dixon, managing director of H&R Block.
New research study explains how cancer cells resist treatment Posted on May 31, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers at grant recipient, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne have worked out how a new class of anticancer drugs kill cancer cells. The finding also helps explain how cancer cells may become resistant to treatment. Dr Zhen Xu, Professor David Huang, Dr Stefan Glaser and colleagues studied a class of anti-cancer drugs called BET inhibitors, which are considered promising new drugs for the treatment of blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphomas. BET inhibitors reduce tumour growth by blocking BET proteins, a family of proteins that control whether genes are switched on or off. Although it has been known that BET inhibitors are effective at halting tumour growth, it has been unclear whether the drugs kill cancer cells outright. The research team found that when tumours are treated with drugs, some resistant cancer cells can survive and continue to grow, leading to disease relapse. In the process, they identified potential ways in which cancer cells may develop resistance to BET inhibitors. The experiments revealed that BET inhibitors principally act to kill cancer cells through the process of programmed cell death (apoptosis). For BET inhibitors to successfully kill lymphoma and myeloid leukaemia cells the presence of a protein called BIM, which brings on apoptosis, was critical. “We found that when apoptosis was impaired, for instance by the loss of BIM, the BET inhibitors were no longer effective,” Dr Xu said. “This suggests that cancer cells that acquire mutations in genes that drive apoptosis will lose sensitivity to BET inhibitors and thus will be able to survive treatment, leading to disease relapse.” Dr Glaser said that knowing how BET inhibitors worked could help researchers develop improved strategies for using these drugs to treat cancer. “Understanding how the drugs work gives us the opportunity to investigate new treatments, for example by using combination therapies, or altering the dosage and timing of treatment to prevent drug resistance from emerging,” Dr Glaser said. The original news post was published on the WEHI website. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute by providing three grants, totalling AUD 5.5million, towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.
More genetic risk factors for endometrial cancer uncovered Posted on May 24, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers at ACRF grant recipient, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, along with research teams from the University of Cambridge and Oxford University, have discovered five new gene regions that increase a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer affects the lining of the uterus. It is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian women, with nearly 2,500 new cases expected to be diagnosed in 2016. The study was led by the head of the Molecular Cancer Epidemiology laboratory at QIMR Berghofer, Associate Professor Amanda Spurdle, and has been published in Nature Genetics. Associate Professor Spurdle said the findings helped to paint a clearer picture of the genetic causes of endometrial cancer in women who do not have a strong family history of cancer. “Up until now, we have only known about four gene regions in women in the general population that contribute to the risk of developing endometrial cancer,” Associate Professor Spurdle said. “In this study, we have identified another five, bringing the total to nine. This finding doubles the number of risk regions we know of, and therefore significantly increases our knowledge of the genetic drivers of endometrial cancer.” The study also looked at how the identified gene regions might be increasing the risk of other cancers, and what the implications would be for the future treatment of endometrial cancer patients. Interestingly, several of the gene regions we identified in the study were already known to contribute to the risk of other common cancers. “As we develop a more comprehensive view of the genetic risk factors for endometrial cancer, we can start to work out which genes could potentially be targeted with new treatments down the track,” Associate Professor Spurdle said. “In particular, we can start looking into whether there are drugs that are already approved and available for use that can be used to target those genes. Our genetic findings may also be useful, together with our knowledge of other risk factors, to identify women at risk of endometrial cancer so they can be regularly checked and be alert to the signs and symptoms.” The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute by providing three grants, totalling AUD 6.65million, towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology. The original news post was published on the QIMR Berghofer website.
Introducing our 2016 City2Surf Ambassador! Posted on May 20, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit We’re excited to announce our first ever Team ACRF City2Surf Ambassador, Jessica Broome. Jess is an incredibly positive young woman with a close connection to cancer research. We are honoured to have her join us this year as our Ambassador. The last time Jess ran with Team ACRF was in 2014. Her Dad had been diagnosed with cancer eight years earlier, and she ran in support of his journey. After crossing the finish line, having raised over $1,600 for cancer research, she celebrated with a toast to her Dad. This year Jess will be running again. “I’m passionate about cancer research because I lost my Dad to cancer in April this year. A month before we lost him, I watched him walk up the hospital hallway and achieve the massive goal he had been working towards with his physio team. It seemed impossible to most of us, but he was always determined to get better. He was a fighter, not just as a fireman, but in the way he refused to give up. We were fortunate that he qualified for numerous medical trials which managed to get him through each year. For ten years they kept coming back with something new, like a magic trick that the researchers would pull out of a hat. Each new trial medication that came around, he would give it a go – no matter what. There were many years where we thought to ourselves: ‘This is it. This is the last Christmas, this is the last father’s day’…but it never was. Thanks to those trials our family was able to spend more precious time with him, which meant so much to us. Dad loved to travel, so we were able to get in some extra holidays together. He also had the chance to ensure his family, including his now 94-year-old Mum, would be okay. We even managed to squeeze in a few more parties with him! Mum and I were playing all his favourite songs on his last day, one of those songs was Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett. We were dancing around his bed like mad women.They say that hearing is the last thing to go, so I just know this would have made him happy. He suffered many different cancers over the last ten years, but it was brain cancer that took him in the end. I feel that was the worst for him to go through. I’d really like to see a trial medication to treat this, other than steroids and pain killers. I know researchers are going to get there in time. This is why I have decided to participate in this year’s City2Surf for cancer research. It’s a great way to support a great cause. I’m not the best runner, but I really enjoy it. I think it will probably be quite a challenge as I haven’t been running for quite a while. My Dad was always telling me to get back into it, so now I’m doing it! I think he would really love that I’m getting involved. He always liked to make sure he thanked people when they helped him. So this is my thank you on his behalf. I’ll know I’ll probably cry through the finish line, but afterwards, I plan to throw one hell of a party! That’s how he would do it!” Jessica Broome ACRF City2Surf Ambassador
New genome sequencing technologies for childhood cancer patients Posted on May 18, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australian children with high-risk cancer will have access to new genome sequencing technologies that could help guide their treatment thanks to the Lions Kids Cancer Genome Project. The Zero Childhood Cancer Program launched in September 2015 and is currently one of the most detailed genetic and biological analyses of children’s cancer globally. The Lions Kids Cancer Genome project will serve as an important new component to the program as it expands its efforts. Whole genome sequencing will take place following diagnosis or relapse of cancers with the poorest prognoses, such as brain tumours. Sequencing looks at each child’s entire genome and its 20,000+ genes in order to define the genetic changes associated with a given cancer. This makes it possible to develop personalised cancer treatment by integrating genetic information with other biological and clinical data. In addition, the study will identify genetic changes in each child’s DNA that might predispose a person to cancer, helping to build up a database of genetic risk factors that could assist with prevention and treatment strategies in the future. At any one time in Australia, over 2,000 children, adolescents, and young adults, are on active treatment for cancer or at risk of relapse. In most cases, the treatments used are general, non-targeted, cytotoxic drugs and the side effects from treatment can be serious and lifelong. The Zero Childhood Cancer Program is a national initiative of Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) and The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, giving hope to children with the highest risk of treatment failure or relapse. Genome sequencing and analysis for the project will be carried out at Garvan Institute of Medical Research’s Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics. The Lions Kids Cancer Genome Project is supported by the Lions Club International Foundation and by the Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation. The project will roll out through the Zero Childhood Cancer Program to children’s hospitals across Australia in 2017. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) welcomes the new initiative and partnership which will contribute towards improving children’s quality of life and ending all childhood cancers. ACRF has supported Children’s Cancer Institute, including the Zero Childhood Program, by providing three grants, totalling AUD $5.1million, towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology. ACRF has also supported cancer research at Garvan Institute of Medical Research, including the Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics, with three grants, totalling AUD $6.13million. The original news post was published on the CCI and Garvan websites.
Cancer research develops new drug to enhance cancer treatment Posted on May 4, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers at the ACRF grant recipient, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research have developed a new drug that could be used to repair blood vessel defects and allow for more targeted and effective cancer treatment delivery. Current treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy can struggle to enter a tumour because the blood vessels that fuel it have become malformed. Tumours require a lot of nutrients so many times this causes blood vessels to re-direct towards the tumour, leading to abnormalities in the vessels. The drug that was developed by Woodside Professor Ruth Ganss and her team discovered that smooth muscle cells that line blood vessels to give them shape and help them pump blood often break down in tumours. Once the smooth muscle cells break down, the blood vessel becomes leaky, reducing blood flow and preventing chemotherapy and immune cells from travelling into the tumour. Professor Ganss said the new drug works by repairing the smooth muscle cells and returning normal blood flow to the vessels, allowing anti-cancer drugs to reach the tumour’s core. “To achieve greater absorption of anti-cancer drugs, the blood vessels are really key,” Professor Ganss said. “Helping stem the spread of cancer.” Professor Ganss said the defect in smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels in cancer could also be a catalyst for the cancer to spread. “It could be that once the smooth muscle cells break down and the blood vessels become leaky, cancer cells are able to slip out of the tumours and migrate through the bloodstream to spread to different parts of the body.” “We are currently investigating whether our drug could help stem the spread of cancer in a patient by repairing the leaky blood vessels.” The original news article was published on the Harry Perkins website. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research by providing two grants, totalling AUD 3.6million, towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.
Australian melanoma rates improve Posted on April 13, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit A study found that rates of invasive melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, have started to decline in Australia and are predicted to keep falling over the next 15 years. Researchers at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute have found that Australia no longer has the highest per capita rates of invasive melanoma in the world, after being overtaken by New Zealand. Researchers compared the rates of melanoma in six populations over a 30-year period from 1982 to 2011. The six populations were Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and the caucasian population of the United States. The researchers found that melanoma rates in Australia increased from about 30 cases per 100,000 people in 1982 and peaked at nearly 49 cases per 100,000 people in 2005. The rates then declined to about 48 cases per 100,000 people in 2011. Invasive melanoma rates in New Zealand reached about 50 cases per 100,000 people in 2011. Professor David Whiteman, who led the study, said Australia was the only one of the six populations where melanoma rates had begun to fall overall. “We think the main reason for this decline is that Australia has put a huge effort into primary prevention campaigns since the 1980s,” Professor Whiteman said. “Australians have become more ‘sun smart’ as they have become more aware of the dangers of melanoma and other skin cancers. Schools, workplaces and childcare centres have also introduced measures to decrease exposure to harmful UV radiation.” “This has contributed to a decline in melanoma rates in people under the age of about 50.” “Unfortunately, rates of melanoma are still increasing in people over the age of about 50. This is probably because many older people had already sustained sun damage before the prevention campaigns were introduced, and those melanomas are only appearing now, many decades after the cancer-causing exposure to sunlight occurred.” Despite the fall in average melanoma rates per 100,000 people, the overall number of invasive melanomas diagnosed in Australia is still rising and is expected to increase from 11,162 cases per year from 2007-2011, to 12,283 cases per year from 2012-2016. Professor Whiteman said this was due to the ageing of the Australian population, as well as overall population growth. “Melanomas occur most commonly in older people. As Australia’s population ages, the number of melanomas diagnosed will continue to increase,” he said. “The picture in Australia at the moment is mixed. While it’s good news that average melanoma rates have started to fall, the fact that the actual number of cases is still rising is bad news.” The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported cancer research at QMRI Berghofer by providing three grants, totalling AUD 6.65million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.
New Sydney cancer research centre looks into metabolic causes of cancer Posted on March 31, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Centenary Institute, in partnership with the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) and Sydney Catalyst, today opened the new ACRF Centenary Cancer Research Centre at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre in Camperdown. The new centre will focus on two key specialist areas of cancer research – understanding the inflammatory and metabolic causes of cancer and the drivers behind cancer-driven blood clotting. By investigating these two areas, the research team hopes to unveil how changes in metabolism support cancer growth and how these changes can be controlled by new treatments and therapies. The ACRF Centenary Cancer Research Centre will be headed by Professor Philip Hogg, a world-renowned researcher whose expertise lies in the discovery of new cancer-active drugs and therapies. The centre will host a team of over 40 dedicated cancer researchers whose capability spans fundamental research to clinical trials. “I would like to thank ACRF and their supporters for funding the new centre. It will significantly expand the Centenary Institute’s capabilities in cancer research and accelerate the development of new treatments for cancer patients,” said Professor Hogg. “Having this new facility has also helped us attract a brilliant team that includes some of the world’s leading scientific minds.” ACRF’s CEO, Dr Ian Brown said, “Supporters of ACRF helped lay the foundation for this centre, a centre that will help the team at Centenary reveal key information that will help inform better cancer treatments which is an exciting step forward.” The new centre is located within the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and is the first dedicated cancer research centre in the Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital and The University of Sydney Precinct. The establishment has been a collaborative effort lead by the Centenary Institute and included the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, Sydney Catalyst, Sydney University, the Charles Perkins Centre, RPA Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Image from left: ACRF Chairman Mr Tom S Dery AO, NSW Minister for Medical Research, The Hon. Pru Goward, MP, Centre Director Professor Philip Hogg and Executive Director Mathew Vadas AO.
Jake takes on Mt Aspiring for cancer research Posted on March 29, 2016November 10, 2021 by Carly du Toit ACRF supporter, Jake Hesson, has first-hand experience of the devastating effect of cancer on families. He recently embarked on a unique fundraising challenge to raise funds for a cause close to his heart. “Almost all of us, at some point in time, will be touched by cancer. Over the past 2 years, this disease has significantly affected a number of my family members, as well as my friends and their families. I recently lost two uncles and an aunt to cancer and now my father is also undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. I became inspired by the work of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and wanted to help make a difference for families suffering from cancer. My brother is a cancer researcher so I know just how important charitable grants, like the ACRF grants, are to the scientific community. I chose to combine my love of alpine mountaineering with fundraising and decided to take on New Zealand’s Mt Aspiring. Not only is this mountain one of the most beautiful in the world, it was also going to be a very physical challenge. I’ve been climbing since 2012 and have done a number of trekking trips. However, I had never climbed anything as technically difficult as this and certainly nothing quite as exposed! I did the trip with just one very experienced (and very patient) guide. The highlight of my trip was definitely the isolation, absolute silence and beauty of the mountains. One night I woke up at 3:30 am and when I stepped out of the tent I looked at the summit and the Milky Way. It was all brighter than I had ever seen. It seemed to be coming directly from the top of the mountain. My advice to others thinking about supporting cancer research is to just do it! It doesn’t matter how you are planning to raise funds, the important thing is to try. Every donation contributes to advancements in cancer research and the sense of achievement and pride you will feel is really worth it. I’d like to make a special note of gratitude to my employer, QBE (Australia) and the QBE Foundation for matching the sums I raised and donating almost $3,000 directly to ACRF.” – Jake Hesson, ACRF supporter. Thank you to Jake and QBE for their generous contributions to cancer research. Corporate Matching Schemes are a great way for you make the most of your fundraising efforts. If you have been involved in a fundraising event for ACRF, it could be worth asking your employer if they offer a Corporate Matching Scheme.
Melbourne researchers trial new leukaemia treatment Posted on March 8, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In a world-first clinical trial, Melbourne medical researchers have shown that patients with an advanced form of leukaemia can achieve complete remission with a new tablet treatment.The trials were conducted at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, in collaboration with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, as well as trial sites in the US. Clinical trials of the potent new anti-cancer drug Venetoclax showed it was effective in killing cancer cells in people with advanced forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) when conventional treatment options had been exhausted. Seventy-nine percent of those involved in the trial had promising responses to the new therapy – including twenty percent who went into a complete remission. A small number of patients had such a profound response that even very sensitive tests were unable to detect any remaining leukaemia in their bodies. CLL is one of the most common forms of leukaemia, with around 1,000 people diagnosed with this type of cancer in Australia every year. More than 350,000 people were estimated to have been diagnosed with leukaemia in 2012 worldwide, with incidence rates varying across the world. The drug has been granted priority review status by the US Federal Drug Agency (FDA) for treating some types of CLL. The designation is granted to medicines that the FDA has determined to have the potential to provide significant improvements in the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a disease. Venetoclax was developed based on a landmark discovery made in the 1980s by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists that a protein called BCL-2 promoted cancer cell survival. Venetoclax was co-developed for clinical use by US pharmaceutical companies AbbVie and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and was discovered as part of a joint research collaboration that involved Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists. Professor Andrew Roberts, a clinical haematologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and cancer researcher at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, said the drug works very specifically by overcoming the action of BCL-2. “Most trial patients responded positively to the therapy, showing substantial reductions in the number of leukaemia cells in their body. Many patients have maintained this response more than a year after their treatment began, and some patients remain in remission more than four years on,” Professor Roberts said. “High levels of BCL-2 protect the leukaemia cells from dying, so leukaemia cells can grow and become resistant to standard treatments. Venetoclax selectively targets the interaction responsible for keeping the leukaemia cells alive and, in many cases, we’ve seen the cancerous cells simply melt away.” Professor John Seymour, Chair of the Haematology Service at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre says, “The fact that a targeted drug, given on its own, can produce such a profound reduction in the leukaemia burden in the patient, to the point we cannot find leukaemia cells even with our best tests, underscores what a powerful strategy targeting the BCL-2 gene is.” These results set the foundation for building towards the dream of a cure for CLL. Phase 2 and phase 3 studies are currently being undertaken to test Venetoclax across a range of blood cancers globally, including at many sites in Australia. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported cancer research at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre by providing three major grants to both institutions, totalling AUD 12.5m. This news was first published on the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre website.
Cancer research uncovers promising new cancer drug Posted on March 1, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne have uncovered how nutlins, a type of small molecule inhibitor, contribute to cancer cell death. Until now, it was unknown whether nutlins were killing cancerous cells or suppressing them temporarily. In early clinical trials for treating blood cancers, Dr Liz Valente, Dr Brandon Aubrey, Professor Andreas Strasser and team discovered that nutlins are able to stop cancer growth by activating the body’s natural cancer-suppressing mechanism. They stimulate a gene called P53 to trigger programmed cell death of blood cancer cells while avoiding some of the damaging effects of chemotherapy. Dr Aubrey, who is also a clinical haematologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, said the discovery reinforced that nutlins were a promising new treatment for blood cancer. They also provided invaluable information for a more personalised approach to patient care. “Our findings will help identify which patients are most likely to benefit from nutlins and which types of cancers are most likely to respond to nutlins as a treatment,” Dr Aubrey said. “Understanding in detail how the drugs work will help in the design of better clinical trials and bring the world closer to more precise and personalised medical treatments for cancer.” Professor Strasser said previous research around P53 showed that one of the properties of the gene was to protect the healthy cells in the body. The gene has been identified as a major barrier to developing cancer. “Without the ‘help’ of P53, a damaged cell can be allowed to multiply, leading to cancer development. P53 lies dormant in many types of cancer – that do not have mutations in P53 – and the nutlins work through re-awakening its activity.” Professor Strasser said knowing more about what nutlins were capable of was a critical step towards developing more refined treatments for cancer. “By understanding how nutlins are killing cancer cells, we can begin to formulate their best possible use, including choosing the best partner drugs to combine the nutlins with,” Professor Strasser said. The research has been published in the journal Cell Reports. To view the original news article was published on the WEHI website, click here. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported WEHI by providing three grants, totalling AUD 5.5million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.
What research did for breast cancer patient, Shona Posted on February 25, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit “My name is Shona. I’m a mother of two young girls, aged 6 and 10, and a police officer from Canberra. In November last year, a week after my 39th birthday, I discovered a lump in my left breast. I had never been diligent about self-checking. I always thought I was too young to contemplate breast cancer but I had a feeling that this lump hadn’t been there before. I reluctantly went to see my GP in the hope she would tell me it was nothing to worry about – she didn’t. She sent me in for testing and two days later I was booked in for an ultrasound and biopsy. The results came back the following day and I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. The next few days were all a whirlwind and it felt like my feet didn’t touch the ground. I was quickly referred to a breast cancer surgeon and put in contact with a breast care nurse at Calvary Hospital. Within two weeks of my diagnosis, I underwent a mastectomy. I will be forever grateful that my lymph nodes were clear and I was sent home from the hospital three days later. I recovered from the operation with absolutely no complications and was able to return to work a few weeks later. My medical team suggested that I have Oncotype DX testing to determine what treatment plan I would need. I only realised how important this testing was when the results came back and showed I wouldn’t have to undergo chemotherapy. Without the testing, my oncologist would have recommended chemotherapy. I am undergoing endocrine therapy, which is not without side effects, but thankfully they are minimal. Which means that I’ll be well enough to run in the Australian Running Festival half marathon in April to raise funds for cancer research. I have now been given the all clear and I consider myself very lucky. Sadly I lost my grandmother to bowel cancer and two amazing women in my extended family to breast cancer. I am the first woman in my immediate family to undergo treatment for breast cancer and I never want to see my sisters or daughters go through what I had to. I’m astounded by the overwhelming support I have received from my family, friends and especially my colleagues. I am so proud of my fellow brothers and sisters in blue, their generous donations have contributed to over 90% of my current fundraising total. We really try to support each other during the tough times – they are my extended family and I love them all. I will carry scars into the future as a testament to my battle but I am determined to not let cancer kill me. I have two amazing and beautiful daughters that need their mum and I am supported by the most incredible man I call my husband. This has been a tough time for me and my family but I am thankful that I am one of the lucky ones. Early detection and superb medical intervention means I will survive. I hope that by sharing my story I can make people aware of the importance of early detection and self-breast checks, and help raise funds for cancer research.” – ACRF supporter, Shona Davis. Click here to support Shona’s Canberra Times Half Marathon. Share your story
Cancer research to improve radiotherapy treatment Posted on February 4, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The radiotherapy research team at Ingham Institute is one of only three research teams in the world to develop a new technological concept and design to improve targeted radiotherapy. The technology, called MRI-Linac, combines an MRI magnet with a Linac Accelerator (a radiation cancer treatment machine) to improve the accuracy and precision of radiotherapy treatment for cancer. Radiotherapy is a mode of cancer treatment that uses a Linear Accelerator to produce X-rays that kill or damage tumours to stop them from growing. However, in doing this, the radiation process may also damage normal tissue in the way of the radiation beam during the treatment. Improving the accuracy of treatment will result in better treatment outcomes and fewer side effects for cancer patients. Until now the MRI and the Linac have worked separately. By joining them together as the MRI-Linac, the Ingham Institute has a system that enables a real-time view of tumours that stretches way beyond basic anatomy, including the chemical structure of tumours and normal tissues. The unique design of the system gives Ingham Institute scientists and cancer researchers the ability to position the treatment or radiation beam in two different arrangements which will improve accuracy further. “Radiation treatments for cancer must take into account changes that can occur to the location and shape of tumours, which move as a result of breathing, swallowing and other normal body changes. This is where the strength of the MRI-Linac system comes into play, as it is the only system that will enable us to target the tumour with the radiation beam much more accurately in real-time and have control over the radiation dose,” said Associate Professor Gary Liney, Senior MRI Physicist at the Ingham Institute. In 2014, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation provided a grant of AUD 2.5 million for the creation of The ACRF Image-X Institute at the Ingham Institute. The research is in its early days and the clinical applications of the new treatment are 5-10 years away.
Fighting blood cancers with new therapies Posted on January 29, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne are pioneering the development of a new combination drug therapy to treat advanced blood cancers. The new therapy builds on a world-first clinical trial already underway at Peter Mac, which uses the drug CX-5461 to treat patients with incurable blood cancers such as myeloma, lymphoma and leukaemia. The new discovery, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, has shown promising results to date. The research team has found that CX-5461 could be even more effective when used in combination with another drug, Everolimus, already used to treat other cancers. The new combination has shown doubled survival times in pre-clinical laboratory models. According to Professor Rick Pearson, Head of Peter Mac’s Cancer Signalling Laboratory, the research findings significantly enhance understanding of pre-emptive strategies to kill off cancer cells before they have the chance to become resistant to therapy. “CX-5461 targets a particular process that is required for cancer cell survival. Our experiments show that adding Everolimus synergistically strengthens this attack, more rapidly and more effectively eradicating the killer disease.” “We know that all cells rely on ribosomes (protein builders of the cell Ed.) which act like a factory producing the proteins essential for their growth and survival,” said Professor Pearson. “Peter Mac researchers have previously shown that certain blood cancers are far more reliant on these proteins than normal cells and that eliminating the protein production capability of ribosomes leads to the rapid death of cancer cells while normal cells stay viable.” “This novel therapy works to inhibit the ribosomes’ protein production capability, effectively starving the cancer cells of a key ingredient they need to survive and proliferate.” “A further study in collaboration with scientists at Monash University shows striking effects in the targeting of late stage prostate cancer through a similar strategy indicating that this approach may be generally applicable for a range of cancer types.” Associate Professor Simon Harrison, Consultant Haematologist at Peter Mac and Principal Investigator on the CX-5461 first-in-human trial, says this new research provides further confidence that researchers are on the right track. “The prevalence and poor prognosis for people with advanced blood cancers demand the ongoing and intricate study of abnormal cell behaviour, which has been an indicator of cancer for over 100 years. To date, 15 patients have been treated on the first-in-human clinical study with a number of patients experiencing prolonged benefit.” More than 12,000 Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer annually (approximately 10% of all cancers) and around 4,000 Australians will lose their lives to the disease each year. This research is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council; Cancer Council Victoria; the Leukemia Foundation; Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia; Cancer Australia; Victorian Cancer Agency, Australian Cancer Research Foundation and Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. Collaborators include the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University and Monash University. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported cancer research at Peter Mac by providing three major grants, totalling AUD 7 million. The news was originally published on Peter Mac’s website.
Scanning centre to transform disease research Posted on January 18, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The diagnosis and treatment of cancers, mental health disorders and conditions such as dementia is set to reach new heights in Brisbane with the launch of a $24 million facility that combines state-of-the-art equipment with world-class research and clinical expertise. The Herston Imaging Research Facility has officially been launched by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Facility Medical Director Dr Liz Kenny said the new centre was one of the most exciting clinical imagery ventures in the Asia Pacific. “It will become the centre of clinical research in Queensland through the use of cutting-edge imaging equipment and will contribute to the understanding of diseases and the development of new drugs and treatment therapies,” she said. Dr Kenny, who is also the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital’s senior radiation oncologist, said the facility featured hybrid scanners which combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT), allowing molecular processes and anatomical images to be captured simultaneously. “This results in a faster and more efficient process for researchers, clinicians and patients,” she said. The facility is a collaboration between The University of Queensland, the Metro North Hospital and Health Service, the Queensland University of Technology and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, with Siemens as an industry supporter. University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Hoj said the infrastructure made Queensland a better environment for the development of new patient treatments. “It will add value to other recent partnership developments like the Queensland-Emory Drug Discovery Initiative and the Centre for Advanced Imaging, and give Queensland innovators a sharper edge in the global race for new preventions, treatments and cures,” he said. Australian Cancer Research Foundation Chairman, Mr Tom Dery, said the facility would help Queensland’s world-class cancer scientists pursue important cancer research discoveries. “The future of cancer prevention and treatments depends on Australia’s best researchers having access to the cutting-edge resources and technologies such as these,” he said. QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute mental health and complex disorders leader Professor Michael Breakspear said the imaging facility would enable work to begin to categorise and discover different subtypes of mental health disorders. “We’re exploring ways to diagnose mental health disorders before the symptoms appear,” he said. “To do this, we need to develop new diagnostic tests using medical imaging technology.” QUT Faculty of Health Assistant Dean (Research) and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Deputy Director Professor Greig De Zubicaray said the scanning capability of the new facility would contribute to understanding of the function and structure of diseases such as cancer and stroke. “With this imaging technology we can detect disease, we can monitor progress and we can see whether or not we can predict recovery,” he said. The Herston Imaging Research Facility is on the Herston health campus, near the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and major medical research facilities.
The Global Effort to End Cancer Posted on January 15, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit US President Barack Obama has shared his hope that one day America will cure cancer. In his state of the union address on Wednesday, he declared, “For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the families that we can still save – let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.” Australian Cancer Research Foundation CEO Professor Ian Brown spoke with ABC Radio National to explain why researchers believe that a cure for cancer really is on the horizon. “There are statements being made now, that say within a generation, cancer will go from being a source of trepidation, where a sizeable number of people are lost, to one where it will become a treatable disease. And there are very good reasons why we think we’re heading in that direction. Going back 30-40 years ago, the number of people who were passing away from cancer was quite high and since then researchers have worked to increase our knowledge of the disease substantially. Today, about 50% of people who contract cancer will survive. But this varies between certain types of cancer. Take thyroid cancer for instance, the survival rates are much higher than they used to be, with more than 95% of people now surviving. However, in a range of other cancers, such as pancreatic cancer or mesothelioma, the survival rates have remained very low. Over time three main ways have been established as methods to treat most cancers, those are: surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. But over the last 15 years, we have come to understand more about how cancer forms and this has helped shape new treatment methods. We now know that cancer is basically a mutational change to the genetic information that causes the cells to proliferate abnormally. These cells won’t simply die and our own internal systems aren’t able to kill the tumours. With this understanding, scientists have worked to find new ways to fight this disease. Medicine is now becoming far more personalised. Information about each individual’s tumour is now being logged into databases. This includes data such as: what the mutation was, what doctors used to try and treat that particular tumour, and whether that treatment was successful, making it far easier for doctors treating the varying mutations that cause different cancers. The Human Genome Project in 2002 was the first example of such a database, logging all the genetic information that we had. It cost around $3 billion and took twenty years to complete. Whereas, the equipment that we now have, can do this much faster and easier that for less than $1000. This is why seed funding for upgrading technology and infrastructure is so important. By equipping the best researchers with the right tools, we will speed up discoveries and ultimately save lives. Science is a collaborative enterprise. People are constantly working to add to our understanding of cancer. We know that by sharing this knowledge around the world, progress is possible. For example, after it was discovered that certain types of viruses could cause cells to become cancerous Australian scientist, Professor Ian Frazer co-developed the cervical cancer vaccine which can now prevent various forms of cancer. This vaccine has now been used in hundreds of millions of people in 120 countries around the world. So as Obama delcared, America will continue to play an important role in curing cancer, but ending this disease will take global collaboration.” To listen to the interview: Click here
Breakthrough in predicting the spread of cancer Posted on January 14, 2016February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A team of cancer researchers from Australia and the UK have bred a biosensor mouse that has enabled them to watch as pancreatic cancer cells ‘unzip’ right before they begin to spread. “Our biosensor mouse makes it possible to look at a primary tumour that has not yet spread: in real time, in 3D, and in a living tumour. Using state-of-the-art laser technology, we can see, at a molecular level, whether the contacts that hold tumour cells in place have started to unzip – and that’s a sign that the cancer is about to spread,” says Dr Paul Timpson of Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research. To understand how unzipping contributes to the spread of pancreatic cancer, the researchers implanted a genetic model of invasive pancreatic cancer. Remarkably, the researchers were able to successfully rezip these cancer cells by treating them with anti-cancer therapies, stopping the spread of cancer before it had begun. To make the biosensor, the researchers bred a mouse in which a key “zippering” protein that holds cells together – called E-cadherin – was linked to a protein from jellyfish that glows green in fluorescence microscopy. This allowed for them to pinpoint when key changes occured. Which is incredibly important given that five-year pancreatic cancer survival rates stand at just 6.1% – a figure that has barely changed in the last 40 years. “Many patients present with pancreatic cancer at a very advanced stage, when the cancer has already spread to other tissues such as the liver,” says Dr Timpson. “But sometimes, the cancer is detected before it has spread – and that’s the point where we have an opportunity to intervene and stop it in its tracks. If we give a drug early enough, we can rezip those cells together.” Dr Timpson says the most exciting part of the study was the fact that the existing treatment – an anti-invasive drug called dasatinib – allowed us to stabalise the primary tumour. “We treated mice that had developed pancreatic cancer that had yet to spread with the anti-invasive drug [and] within three days of treatment, we saw cells within the tumour had re-zippered, and the tumour had stabilised.” Similar results were achieved with a second therapy, saracatinib. “The biosensor mouse is a powerful tool for anti-cancer drug discovery,” Dr Timpson says. “It makes it possible to evaluate the effect of new therapies on tumour spread, in real time and in a system that reflects human cancer as closely as is currently possible.” Dr Timpson points out that this is just the beginning for the biosensor mouse. “We now have a model that is one step ahead of the invasion process in pancreatic cancer – but we are also already using this model in our laboratory for other aggressive and highly invasive cancer types, such as breast cancer. “Ultimately, we expect to use the biosensor mouse to explore zippering and cancer spread in a wide range of tumours throughout the body.” The Garvan Institute of Medical Research has received three ACRF cancer research grants totalling $6.13m. To read the original article, click here.
Cancer Research Achievements Acknowledged at Clifford Awards Posted on November 25, 2015March 13, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Clifford Prize for Cancer Research was presented to Professor Inder Verma and Professor Jane Visvader at Seventh Barossa Meeting on Cell Signalling in Cancer Biology and Therapy. The bi-annual prize is presented by the Centre for Cancer Biology (CCB), South Australia, for outstanding international achievement in cancer research. Professor Verma is an American Cancer Society Professor of Molecular Biology in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He has been responsible for many major discoveries in cancer biology over the past four decades, ranging from basic discoveries regarding transcription factors involved in cancer, laying the basis for modern molecular biology by developing the cDNA synthesis procedure using reverse transcriptase, to development of viral-based vectors for gene therapy approaches to various genetic diseases, including cancers. Professor Verma and co-workers have ingeniously employed specific methods of mouse genetics to reveal the roles of many specific oncogenes / transcription factors in normal cellular growth, differentiation and development. Professor Visvader is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. She and her team have made major contributions to the understanding of breast cancer by isolating mammary stem cells, defining master regulators of mammary gland development and identifying genetic lesions that drive oncogenesis. Her landmark discoveries have revealed master regulators that orchestrate cell fate decisions in the mammary gland, providing an indispensable framework for understanding mammary lineage commitment and differentiation, and a basis for understanding origins of breast cancer. The Clifford Prize for Cancer Research represents an appreciation by Australian scientists for discoveries that have combined outstanding science with significant clinical relevance. The ACRF Cancer Genomics Facility was established at the CCB in 2009, with the assistance of a $3.5m grant from the ACRF. Image courtesy of CCB, left to right: Professor Inder Verma, Professor Jane Visvader, Prof Sharad Kumar, Dr Leanna Read, Chief Scientist, South Australia and Prof Angel Lopez, CCB.
Research discovery paves the way to prevention of a common childhood cancer Posted on November 5, 2015March 13, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers at Children’s Cancer Institute have identified a molecular ‘feedback loop’ that accelerates the development of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system in children. Fortunately, the research team has also identified an experimental drug, currently in clinical trials for adult cancer, with the potential to interrupt the loop and halt tumour progression. Researchers showed in laboratory models of neuroblastoma that the drug could block the very start of this embryonal cancer, paving the way to possible prevention strategies in the future. They found that a combination of the drug – known as CBL01371 – used in combination with traditional DNA damaging chemotherapy agents was much more effective than either drug alone. Professor Michelle Haber AM, leader of the Experimental Therapeutics laboratory and Professor Glenn Marshall AM, leader of the Molecular Carcinogenesis laboratory at Children’s Cancer Institute, worked on two very different aspects of the study. Professor Marshall’s team focused on the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind the feedback loop, and its interruption by CBL0137. Professor Haber’s team focused on the therapeutic potential of CBL0137, both as a single agent and in combination with other drugs. “Our laboratory tests tell us that CBL0137 is likely to be very effective against the most aggressive neuroblastomas, and indeed the most aggressive forms of other childhood cancers, and that is very exciting,” said Professor Haber. “But what is particularly exciting is that, in contrast to many other chemotherapeutic agents, CBL0137 does not damage DNA, and it is DNA damage that is responsible for the many unpleasant and serious side-effects that frequently affect children after they are cured of their cancer.” “The drug is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for adults, which means that safe dosage levels are being tested. Once the adult trials are completed, a Phase 1 trial for children with refractory – or relapsed – neuroblastoma, and also other aggressive childhood cancers, will open in the United States and Australia,” Professor Haber said. Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumour cancer of early childhood, and is generally diagnosed when the disease is advanced. Around half of all children with neuroblastoma have aggressive tumours, and fewer than half of these patients survive, even after intensive treatment. These findings are published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. This news item was originally published on the Children’s Cancer Institute’s website. The original version provides more detailed scientific information on the study. ACRF has supported cancer research at the Children’s Cancer Institute by providing three major grants, totalling AUD $5.1m. Image courtesy of Children’s Cancer Institute. Clockwise from left to right: Professor Glenn Marshall, Dr Dan Carter, Professor Murray Norris, Professor Michelle Haber, Jayne Murray
Cancer Research to Benefit from Twitter for Cells Posted on October 13, 2015March 13, 2018 by Carly du Toit An international team of researchers have completed a study into cell behaviour, providing insight into how different, specialised cell types communicate as a cohesive network. The researchers have produced the first map of cell-to-cell communication which shows the division of labour between cell types and reveals the ways cells use proteins to pass hundreds of messages between each other. This will help advance cancer research in the future. The lead author, Professor Alistair Forrest, recently joined the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in WA as Laboratory Head of Systems Biology and Genomics to continue his work with a renewed focus on cancer. Professor Forrest says systems biology studies all elements (typically genes or proteins) simultaneously to see how they work together in a system (or network) instead of focusing on only one or two genes at a time. “What we have revealed in this new research is that cells have many ways of talking to each other.” Imagine twitter for cells – hundreds of cell types telling each other what is happening via hundreds of different messages. Professor Forrest says the work has important implications for medicine. “The proteins involved are actually well known to the general public. Insulin, human growth factor and leptin are important in diabetes, height and obesity. This type of signalling is also very important in our immune response to infectious diseases. It’s also important in cancer – in particular neuroblastoma and lung cancer.” The researchers believe that further investigation will provide answers into what happens to this intercellular information in cancer cells and how cancer avoids the immune system. It is hoped that this research will eventually help identify new therapeutic targets to improve treatments for people battling cancer. The original article was published on the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, click here to read more.
Breakthrough cancer research technologies to advance treatments Posted on September 23, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit With support from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute has today unveiled the $2.5 million ACRF Breakthrough Technologies Laboratory which will help researchers uncover new insights into how cancer develops, and how it can be more effectively treated. This is the third ACRF grant awarded to Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. These grants were awarded 2001, 2010 and 2014 with a combined value of $5.5 million to help researchers make breakthroughs in genomics, as well as breast, lymphoma and lung cancers. The ACRF Breakthrough Technologies Laboratory is Australia’s first dedicated cancer laboratory to use ‘CRISPR/Cas9’ technology to target and directly manipulate genes in cancer cells. The facility will be used by researchers from WEHI and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) partners to enhance and accelerate research into many of Australia’s most common, and most deadly, cancers including cancers of the blood (leukaemia, lymphoma), breast, ovary, lung and bowel. The director of the WEHI, Professor Doug Hilton, said the ACRF Breakthrough Technologies Laboratory would provide an enormous boost to Australia’s cancer research efforts. “It has become clear that technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 can accelerate new breakthroughs in understanding cancer and developing new treatments.” “The generosity of ACRF and its donors has allowed us to equip our research teams with precisely the tools they need to advance their research,” Professor Hilton said. Mr Tom Dery, Chairman of the ACRF Board said “We are proud to enable the ground-breaking research conducted at the ACRF Breakthrough Technologies Laboratory. The facility will help to accelerate new treatments for people with cancer in Australia and worldwide.” The contributions Australian researchers are making to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer are very significant. “More than 14 million people around the world were diagnosed with cancer last year, including more than 125,000 Australians,” Mr Dery said. Professor Jim Bishop, Executive Director of the VCCC, said the ACRF Breakthrough Technologies Laboratory represented a critical addition to the Victoria’s cancer research capabilities. “The facility provides our researchers with unparalleled access to world-leading technology.” “The strength of the VCCC lies in the close ties it fosters between the laboratory-based, clinical and other researchers in its partner organisations. This means that discoveries made in the ACRF Breakthrough Technologies Laboratory will be translated into new treatments for cancer as rapidly in Melbourne as anywhere in the world,” Professor Bishop said. The VCCC is an alliance of ten successful Victorian organisations committed to cancer care: the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne Health (including The Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, The Royal Women’s Hospital, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Western Health, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Austin Health and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. The original article was published on the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute website, click here to view.
Beneath the surface of skin cancer patients Posted on September 16, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Here at the ACRF we are proud to equip Australia’s leading cancer researchers with the resources they need to end cancer. Recently, a team of researchers from the University of Queensland discovered a protein that helps to control an important process in cell adhesion that is disrupted when someone contracts a disease such as skin cancer. The researchers said that the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Cancer Biology Imaging Facility at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) played a vital role in this research. It is currently one of the largest and most comprehensively equipped facilities in Australia for both the imaging and screening of chemical and biological libraries. The facility was founded in 2010 with a $2.5 million ACRF grant and is home to 23 high-performance microscopes and supporting image data analysis workstations. PhD student Rashmi Priya at IMB says that what the research has done is clarify the role of the protein myosin in tissue integrity. “The protein Myosin is found at cell connection points and we now know that it plays a crucial role in regulating how cells stick together to form tissues in the body,” she said. “Our research has shown that this is because myosin protects a switch that acts as a stabiliser. This switch must be very tightly controlled as it affects many processes within the body. Too much or too little of this switch, or having it in the wrong place, can lead to diseases such as skin cancer, says Priya.” Professor Alpha Yap, who led the research team, says “The cells in all the tissues of our body die and have to be replaced as regularly as every 24 hours in the intestinal system. For this to happen, adhesion between cells must be carefully broken down and rebuilt, and we now have a better understanding of what it is that’s controlling this whole process.” The original article was published on the Institute for Molecular Bioscience website, click here to read more.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk Unveils ACRF Centre for Comprehensive Biomedical Imaging at QIMR Berghofer Posted on September 4, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled Queensland’s newest weapon in the fight against cancer this week, opening the ACRF Centre for Comprehensive Biomedical Imaging at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. A $2.6 million grant from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation has funded the three state-of-the-art microscopes housed by the new lab – a significant and exciting advancement for the institutes researchers. Ms Palaszczuk said the centre would allow QIMR Berghofer to unlock new techniques which would dramatically accelerate our understanding of cancer. “To beat cancer, we need both brilliant minds and cutting edge technology – as we can see today, QIMR Berghofer has both,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “This imaging facility will build on Queensland’s global reputation for research excellence.” “And it builds on my government’s Advance Queensland strategy – to not only consolidate and grow our research base, but also develop investment opportunities to diversify and strengthen our economy.” QIMR Berghofer Director and CEO Professor Frank Gannon said the new imaging equipment would allow the Institute to build on its world-leading immunotherapy program. In recent days QIMR Berghofer has launched Phase II clinical trials of an immunotherapy treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and announced a major agreement with a global pharmaceutical company to discover cancer antibodies. “Thanks to the generosity and vision of the ACRF we will be able to take our research to a new level of understanding and target cancer with greater accuracy as our scientists continue to deliver outcomes which have real consequences for patients,” says Professor Gannon. The ACRF CCBI consists of three crucial pieces of imaging equipment: a multiphoton intravital microscope for imaging of live cells; a laser scanning confocal microscope for high resolution imaging of cancer at the molecular level; and a spinning disc confocal microscope for imaging signalling pathways in cancer cells. The new equipment will also allow QIMR Berghofer scientists to study the process by which cancers metastasise, or spread, to distant tissues. ACRF Trustee Russell Caplan said that since the ACRF was established in 1984 it has awarded more than $103.9 million to 34 research centres across Australia. “Eleven of those grants ($23.3 million) have been distributed to research centres in Queensland and three of them have directly funded projects at QIMR Berghofer ($6.65 million).” “These grants are awarded on the basis of research excellence and are subject to a rigorous approval process overseen by a Medical Research Advisory Committee made up of some of Australia’s most respected researchers, so it says a lot about the level of work being conducted at QIMR Berghofer,” Mr Caplan said. To learn more about the other grants that have been awarded to leading research institutes across Australia click here.
International gene study identifies five new melanoma risk regions Posted on August 24, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit An international study led by QIMR Berghofer cancer researcher, Dr Matthew Law, has uncovered five new gene regions which increase a person’s risk of melanoma. Melanoma is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, and although there are effective treatment options available to those who detect it early, the five-year survival rate of patients with more advanced cases is only 10%. “Each day around 30 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma, and from that more than 12 hundred a year lose their battle with the disease,” says Dr Law. “So each little piece of knowledge that we uncover is crucial as it affects the overall picture and helps us to continue to develop and improve the ways we detect and treat it.” The study found five new regions of the genome associated with melanoma and formally confirmed two more that were suspected to be risk factors. This research takes the total number of known melanoma gene risk regions to 20. “Most of the major gene risk regions previously identified are associated with pigmentation, or the number of moles a person has. The five new gene regions we’ve discovered are from different pathways, so it’s yet another piece to add to the melanoma puzzle.” “Out of the new regions that were found, the most interesting biologically, was one involved with the maintenance, development and length of the telomeres. Telomeres are like shoelace caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes from damage. We know that loss or damage to telomeres is a key factor in the development of cancer cells.” Over 12 thousand melanoma samples were used for the project, making it the largest genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify variations associated with melanoma. The international collaboration of researchers from QIMR and the Melanoma Genetics Consortium (GenoMEL) are now preparing for an even larger study which is expected to find more markers of risk. “Our long term goal is to find drugs that modify the pathways that we’re identifying – that way we’ll be able to alter specific activity and bring it back to normal.” “It’s very exciting to find something new about a serious condition – that’s the joy of doing this kind of research. Working in science is all about discovering new things that haven’t been seen or understood before and hopefully add a bit more knowledge to the world.” QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has received $6.65 million in grants from the ACRF which has funded technology to progress research in colon, breast, ovarian, prostate, leukaemia, lymphoma and melanoma. The original article was published on the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research website.
Researchers Honoured at Cancer Institute NSW Awards Posted on August 12, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Last Friday the ACRF attended the 2015 Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research. These awards honour the achievements of the individuals and teams that work across the cancer research sector to lessen the impact of cancer on the community through prevention, early detection, innovation, and research discoveries. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the awards and was hosted by the Cancer Institute NSW at Doltone House, Hyde Park. Over three hundred guests from the health and medical sector attended. The night celebrated excellence and innovation in cancer research, acknowledging the immense contributions of professionals who have dedicated their life’s work to improving the lives of people with cancer, and commending ‘rising stars’ who are embarking on brilliant new research endeavours. Throughout the night, speeches not only discussed the scientific implications of their findings on future treatments and preventions, but recognised the real world difference cancer research is making to patients battling the disease today. Keynote speaker Professor Terry Speed, a world-leader in statistics and bioinformatics, marvelled at the impact cancer research teams have on patients. “I severely underestimated the realism of the people in this room. It was a moment of awakening for me, when I realised that someone I knew from an institute that I worked at had made such an impact on my nephew who just had a stem cell transplant.” Winner of the ‘Wildfire’ Highly Cited Publication Award, Ms Amber Johns, acknowledged the collaborative nature of cancer research worldwide, “it’s important to thank the dedicated scientists undertaking the research, the clinicians for everything they do for our patients and to our patients who volunteer for these studies, and allow researchers into their bedside at such a vulnerable time in their lives.” Dr Geoffrey McCowage, a paediatric oncologist at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Westmead won the Excellence in Translation Cancer Research Award for his work with Gene Therapy. He shared insight on the emotional impact of working in this field. When asked whether the scientific rewards outweigh how difficult it is to work with childhood cancers, Dr McCowage responded with “Absolutely, however people often ask me if it gets any easier to deal with tragedy, and as the years go on I honestly have to say it gets harder.” Despite the difficulties, Professor Speed revealed that in his experience he found that many researchers are motivated to continue on by a single thought: “There’s a driving force at the back of our minds – if a Eureka moment does happen, there will be an army of people who will bring this discovery from the bench to the bedside.” The Australian Cancer Research Foundation thanks the nominees and award winners for their hard work and dedication. We know that these awards go beyond recognition of a scientists achievement, they are a celebration of the shared progress that brings us closer towards finding a cure for all cancers.
Kelmscott Police Officers set to scale Mt Fuji in honour of fallen friends Posted on July 28, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Mt. Fuji, Japan viewed from Chureito Pagoda in the autumn. This September, Western Australian Police Officers Oliver, Anita, Wendy and Tanya will be on route to Japan preparing for an experience of a lifetime. They will be hiking the country’s tallest mountain – Mount Fuji, in an effort to raise funds for cancer research and honour their fallen friends. The past two years have been difficult ones for the Kelmscott Local Police Team. They’ve had to watch two of their brothers in blue, Larry McCarthy and Gary Husain, lose their battle with cancer. “We’re a really close-knit crew and have been working together for a number of years. It was really difficult losing our friends. They were both really hard working and loyal men. They were always doing their best for our community.” Experienced hiker and Senior Sergeant, Oliver Lund, will be leading the team on their ascent. And as someone who has already successfully scaled one of the world’s most challenging summits – Mt Kilimanjaro, he will be the perfect man for the job. “We’re taking on this challenge for a number of reasons. Not only is it going to be a great team-building exercise, but it will also be a really special way to remember our friends and raise funds for a cause that has affected us so deeply. Cancer is never too far from our minds as so many families in our community are facing the disease.” They decided that Mount Fuji would be the safest for the crew of first-time hikers, but at 3776 meters above sea level, it’s still considered one of the more challenging climbs. “It’ll require quite a lot of strength and endurance. We like to keep fit as possible for work, and participate in regular police training days – but we’ve all really stepped it up in preparation for the climb.” “Depending on how the weather treats us we’re planning on setting off in the evening and planning our trek so that we will finally reach the peak at dawn. Watching the sunrise from the top will be such an amazing experience.” The team hopes to raise awareness of the ACRF Fundraising program “The more people that know about the ACRF Online Fundraising Program, the greater the impact we can have so we’re doing everything we can!” To show your support these brave officers click here. Share your story
New discovery a sign of hope for melanoma patients Posted on July 10, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit After four years of dedicated research, PhD student Mitchell Stark has made a remarkable discovery at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, a facility which has been awarded three grants from the ACRF. He has uncovered new markers which will help increase the speed, accuracy and accessibility of tests that monitor the progression of Melanoma. Mr. Stark’s study has revealed that elevated levels of microRNA’s, which are tiny molecules that regulate the amount of protein in a gene, can indicate that the cancer is at risk of spreading. “They are highly sensitive and specific, and are significantly better than markers currently being used,” says Mr. Stark. “In specimens from stage IV patients, the new biomarkers confirmed tumour progression in 100% of cases.” Mr. Stark said this is significant because it will allow patients to start treatment before metastatic disease is clinically evident, which could greatly improve a patient’s chance of survival. “Patients with stage III melanoma, with spread confined to regional lymph nodes, have a five-year survival rate of about 50%, compared to less than 15% if metastases are widespread.” In addition to the accuracy, another positive is the method in which the testing is done. All that is required from a patient for the markers to be detected is a routine blood test. This will better identify the group of patients that require additional expensive and stressful tests such as CT scans. Queensland Science Minister Leeanne Enoch said the research represents a significant advance for melanoma patients. “This is an excellent example of the world-leading research at QIMR Berghofer which has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of patients in Queensland and around the world.” QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has received $6.65 million in grants from the ACRF which has funded technology to progress research in colon, breast, ovarian, prostate, leukaemia, lymphoma and melanoma. The original article was published on the AIMR Berghofer Medical Research website.
Researchers expose how ‘James Bond’ cells are made to boost our immune system against cancer. Posted on June 23, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Our determination to understand how our bodies operate continues to reveal fascinating intricacies. New research published in the journal of Nature Immunology exemplifies this. In the study, researchers from the ACRF funded Walter and Eliza Hall Institute reveal how immune cell ‘spies’ are created. These dendritic cells, or ‘James Bond’ cells gather information on disease-causing agents to aid our bodies in fighting them. “Dendritic cells are the intelligence-gathering cells that educate the immune system,” said Dr Naik from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. “They tell the infection-fighting T cells and NK cells what a virus, bacterium, fungus or cancer looks like so they know what they’re looking for when fighting disease”. Prior to this discovery, it was thought that dendritic cells shared one ‘parent’. But researchers have found that we actually have an army of unique ‘parent’ cells that decide whether or not to multiply or generate new dendritic cells to help identify and fight disease. What this new knowledge provides us with are clues on how the immune system could be manipulated to better fight disease. In examining and understanding at a molecular level how our body naturally fights diseases, we can then single out the cells that are doing the right thing and suppress any ‘James Bond’ cells that are aiming at the wrong target. This discovery could not have been achieved without cutting-edge technology that allows scientists to single out individual immune cells, rather than try to examine thousands at once. “We and others have been following this family tree from one daughter cell to the next to discover how each cell type is created and how the parent cell ‘decides’ if it should make more of itself or create the next cell type. By dissecting the heritage of these cells, we can find new targets to tackle a range of conditions including infectious diseases, cancers and immune disorders, and even make vaccines more effective,” says Dr Shalin Naik. Walter and Eliza Hall Institute has received $5.5 million in grants from the ACRF which has funded technology to progress research in lymphoma, breast, lung and genomics. The original article was published the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research website. To read the original article, please click here.
New screening technique developed to detect ‘silent’ ovarian cancers early. Posted on May 7, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit University of NSW Vice-Chancellor Ian Jacobs. Image source: UNSW Newsroom Ovarian cancer is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’, with around one hundred thousand women succumbing to the disease globally each year. Symptoms can be very vague, and the disease often spreads before the cancer can be found. But there is new hope for early detection. The latest results from a clinical trial led by UNSW Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ian Jacobs, in collaboration with University College London, have shown a novel new screening method can identify twice as many women with ovarian cancer as existing strategies. The new screening programme allows researchers to better interpret the changing levels of a specific protein called CA125 (which has been linked to ovarian cancer) through a blood test, giving a highly accurate prediction of a woman’s individual risk. “The sensitivity is very, very high – much higher than people thought would be possible,” said Professor Jacobs. The new method detected cancer in 86% of women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (iEOC). Previous methods, which detected just 41%, would only raise concern once the concentration of this protein had passed a fixed threshold. The problem with this was that certain women with high levels didn’t actually have cancer, while others with levels below the threshold did. Professor Jacobs says, “What’s normal for one woman may not be so for another. It is the change in levels of this protein that’s important.” The trial involved over two-hundred thousand post-menopausal women aged 50 or over and was the largest of its kind to date in the world. “My hope is that when the results of UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening are available, this approach will prove capable of detecting ovarian cancer early enough to save lives.” Prof. Jacobs’ team are awaiting further test results later this year before the method has proved capable of detecting ovarian cancer early enough to save lives. If these results are positive, Prof. Jacobs says the method will likely be adopted in an annual screening program. This article was originally published on UNSW Newsroom, to read the full article click here.
ACRF announces special $10 million Anniversary Grant. Posted on March 12, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit This year, Australia’s best cancers researchers will make exciting leaps forward in their work and we are excited to be contributing to this progress. The first of our grant rounds for 2015 is now open, calling for applications for a special Anniversary Grant of $10 million. This major grant is being offered to foster cutting-edge ideas in Australia’s cancer research circles. It commemorates the ACRF’s 30 year anniversary in keeping with the mission of the Foundation: to promote bold and significant advances in the prevention, early detection, treatment and/or management of cancer. It has been created to stimulate collaborative cancer research – bringing together expertise from around Australia and the world towards a shared and powerful research goal. Detailed, written applications for the 2015 Anniversary Grant will be accepted up to COB on Friday 1 May, 2015. A special expert panel, nominated by the ACRF’s Medical Research Advisory Committee (MRAC) will review the applications for scientific merit and select a shortlist to proceed to interview and, if deemed appropriate, a site visit. We look forward to receiving outstanding applications from Australia’s best research teams, and will be sure to keep you informed on where your wonderful support will be making a difference this year. For more information about our grants please click here.
Researchers develop antibody to target cancerous ovarian cells. Posted on March 4, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers from the Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland (MRI-UQ) have developed an antibody drug, in pre-clinical trials, which attacks cancerous ovarian cells. The drug has been found to successfully target a specific protein which is present only on the surface of cancerous ovarian cells, not on normal ovarian cells. Associate Professor John Hooper said, “One of the really interesting things is that while normal ovaries don’t produce this protein, the tumours of about 90 per cent of patients do.” By targeting this protein, the drug will also help limit the serious side-effects of traditional treatments. “We can attack the cancerous cells while having little impact on the normal ovarian cells, and that reduces the side-effects, which is obviously of great interest to patients” Associate Professor Hooper said. “Another thing we found with this protein is that it sits on the surface of the cancerous cells so it’s much easier for the drug to target it.” While the study is still in its early stages, the research team are taking leaps and bounds towards a better understanding of how to attack ovarian cancer, which is currently the second most commonly diagnosed gynaecological cancer in Australia. In the project’s next phase, researchers will study how the antibody responds to patient samples to further determine its effectiveness. More information about this discovery can be found here.
Discovery of four pancreatic cancer sub-types raises hope for future treatments. Posted on February 27, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit ACRF funding has enabled a new discovery which will improve pancreatic cancer treatments of the near future. Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), and QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research collaborated with researchers from the Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre in Scotland, to analyse the complete genetic code of pancreatic tumours in 100 patients. The team identified and mapped out the extensive and damaging genetic changes – finding four key subgroups which differentiate pancreatic tumours by their gene arrangements: ‘stable’, ‘locally rearranged’, ‘scattered’ and ‘unstable’. Professor Sean Grimmond from IMB said, “Having access to these detailed genetic maps could help doctors in the future determine which chemotherapy drug a patient should get, based on their cancer’s genome.” This discovery already promises to improve the treatment of at least one of these groups after the researchers noticed an existing class of chemotherapy drugs, used to treat some breast cancers, may also work on patients whose pancreatic tumours have the “unstable” genomes. The team of researchers realised the significance of their discovery when they found four out of five study patients with this genetic signature responded to the DNA-damaging drugs. “Two of them had an exceptional response, which happens very, very rarely in pancreatic cancer. Their tumours went away completely,” said the co-leader of the group, Andrew Biankin, who conducted the work at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Dr Nicola Waddell from QIMR Berghofer (previously from IMB) said pancreatic cancer remained one of the most complex cancers to treat, with a survival rate that has not improved considerably in the last 50 years. “Our study identified four major genomic subtypes in pancreatic cancer, revealed two new driver genes not previously associated with pancreatic cancer, and reaffirmed the importance of five key genes,” said Dr, Waddell. The team at IMB plan to begin a clinical trial in the UK, selecting patients for targeted treatments based on their genomic testing. The ACRF is proud to have supported each the Australian research centres involved in this study with funding over many years.
Boot scootin’ for Misty Molly Muffin raises funds to help end cancer. Posted on February 23, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Some boot scootin’ fun has led to a most generous fundraising event, in memory of a beloved pet. Misty Molly Muffin, the Silkyhuahua, sadly passed away in 2014 and in her memory the owners of line-dancing studio, Bossy Boots Dancin’ Fun, raised a most generous $6,000 for cancer research in Australia. Throughout 2014, David and Janene Lawson organised a series of fun line-dancing socials, with a portion of the door entry, and profits from the raffles helping to speed up cancer research discoveries. But David and Janene didn’t stop there, they also organised fundraising at their annual Cruisin’ Country event, as well as at the Sydney Country Music Festival, and they also collected some extremely generous donations from their students. Over the years, Bossy Boots Dancin’ Fun have danced up a storm in fundraising events, contributing a total of $9,320 to cancer research since 2010. We couldn’t be more grateful for their ongoing support. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies for the loss of Misty Molly Muffin and also say thank you so very much to David, Janene, their most generous students and all those who attended their socials. We’re very humbled by their generosity and thank them very much for their support. To see photos from the Cruisin’ Country event please visit the Bossy Boots Dancin’ Fun website here. Share your story
International study improves test for people at risk of bowel or endometrial cancers. Posted on February 19, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A more accurate way to identify those at a high risk of bowel or endometrial cancer has been discovered by cancer scientists in Queensland. Researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute led a global effort to refine genetic information in an international database, meaning GPs will have the ability to access the publicly-available data and give patients a truer picture of their familial risk. This global project arose from the issues many GPs and patients seemed to be having from inconclusive results when tested for Lynch Syndrome – an inherited condition that increases the risk of bowel and endometrial cancer. Associate Professor Amanda Spurdle, who led the project, said, “The model – using the expertise of researchers and clinicians across the world with a particular knowledge of a rare disease – essentially turns indecipherable sequencing data into real knowledge that can have a clinical benefit.” “As a result of this work, doctors can more conclusively say whether those patients have Lynch Syndrome, and therefore whether they are at a higher risk of getting another cancer. “The reverse of that is that we may also ease the worry of some people who’ve had inconclusive results.” The research team involved Professor Maurizio Genuardi from the University of Florence and Professor Finlay Macrae from the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The International Society for Gastrointestinal Tumours (InSiGHT) committee pooled data from across the world on thousands of different gene changes. “Through this collaborative effort, we can be confident of our counselling advice to families, offer them testing for the gene fault, and, if they carry it, help them closely monitor their health and take preventative measures,” Associate Professor Spurdle said. The findings of this project can be found in esteemed research journal Nature Genetics. The ACRF is proud to have supported QIMR Berghofer Medial Research Institute, having provided more than $6 Million in research grant funding since 2002.
Possible cause of world’s most common childhood cancer, discovered Posted on February 19, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have discovered a possible cause of medulloblastoma, one of the world’s most common childhood cancers. Cancer scientists have found mature cells in the brain can revert to basic stem cells and initiate cancer – a process previously thought not to be possible. Trials undertaken in the fruit fly, which shares around 70 per cent common cancer genes with humans, found mature cells, in the absence of a key gene, revert into rapidly dividing stem cells that can cause brain tumours. Dr Louise Cheng, Head of the Stem Cell Growth Regulation Laboratory at Peter Mac and lead author on the study, said, ‘It was thought that, once matured, brain cells or neurons could not go backwards and become stem cells again — but we found this process is in fact reversible. “In our fruit fly model, we found that once a gene called Nerfin-1, which keeps neurons locked in a mature, non-dividing state, is lost, the neurons revert to an out-of-control stem cell state, rapidly initiating cancer and quickly becoming brain tumours.” These findings are significant as medulloblastoma patients often have a faulty version of the human equivalent of this Nerfin-1 gene, called INSM1. “INSM1 is frequently mutated in people with medulloblastoma and we believe preserving the protective role of INSM1 could prevent the reversion of mature neurons into stem cells, and stop cancer initiation in the brain,” said Dr Cheng. “This is particularly important in the current treatment context where chemotherapy is used to target rapidly dividing cells, but does not kill non-dividing, mature cells, which we now know can be a cause of medulloblastoma, potentially explaining why chemotherapy is not always successful in treating brain cancers in the long term.” This discovery that non-dividing cells may also cause cancer now opens the door for cancer scientists to develop of new targeted therapies and drugs with the potential to block this reversion of non-dividing cells and eliminate cancer-causing stem cell populations altogether. This information was originally published on the Peter MacCallum website and can be found here.
ACRF leads the way in digital innovation Posted on February 3, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Wednesday 4th February marks World Cancer Day and, in the next step towards putting an end to cancer, one of Australia’s leading cancer charities, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF), will launch the world’s first charity-driven Top-Level Domain (TLD) .CancerResearch. .CancerResearch is an internet domain enabling a new digital collective. It will be developed by the ACRF in collaboration with Australian cancer scientists and research centres, providing authoritative information, awareness movements, research news and important messages of hope for both Australian and global communities. As the suite of .CancerResearch sites expands, international researchers, cancer sufferers, advocates and fundraisers will all have a powerful, unified voice on cancer research. This effort towards ‘one’ voice will be highlighted in the Foundation’s introductory .CancerResearch awareness campaign, which can be seen at www.TheOne.CancerResearch. TheOne.CancerResearch uses the latest in digital and social technology to provide an interactive experience for all supporters of cancer research, compiling their many thousands of faces into ‘The One’ entity that will enable new treatments and cures for cancer. CEO of ACRF Professor Ian Brown said: “We have kick-started our launch with an incredible, community-based initiative – TheOne.CancerResearch. It has been developed through the support of M&C Saatchi and involves a powerful digital experience with the aim of mobilising our supporters in the fight against cancer. “.CancerResearch is an internet domain with a collaborative vision. We have a long road ahead, but bringing the greatest minds and movements for cancer research together begins now.” With the ACRF recently celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the launch of a new top-level domain marks a significant milestone for the Foundation. Since its inception, the ACRF has provided more than $100 million for cancer research, supporting major breakthroughs such as the early development of the cervical cancer vaccine. For more information, please visit: www.theone.cancerresearch
Who is The One? Posted on January 29, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Next week on February 4, people around the world will be getting involved in World Cancer Day, joining forces to show that cancer, its treatments and its cures are not beyond us. A cancer free future is within our reach and we as a global community have the power to achieve this. Fittingly, World Cancer Day’s 2015 tagline also ties in with some extremely exciting events happening at the ACRF. Next week is set to be a very momentous one. Over many months, an incredible team of people – digital agencies, media outlets, Australian cancer researchers, and more – have been busily supporting the ACRF to produce a truly inspiring and original campaign. It’s a campaign we hope will create a new movement towards increased support for cancer research. While we can’t say too much to spoil the surprise, our campaign uses the latest in digital and social technology to give you – our supporters – a unique interactive experience. We want to show you just how important you are in this fight against cancer. The new campaign will feature alongside a series of websites that the ACRF has been developing in collaboration with Australian scientists, research centres, other not-for-profits, and like-minded organisations. This community-based initiative is the next step towards putting an end to cancer. Its focus is to generate more awareness and funding for cancer research and we are so excited to get our supporters involved. We look forward to staying in touch with you on new developments and for those on social, be sure to follow #WhoIsTheOne . Thank you for your ongoing and loyal support for cancer research. Campaign supporters (what an amazing list of super generous organisations!): ARI Registry Services Australian Radio Network Bang PR Children’s Medical Research Institute Commercial Radio Australia Fairfax Media Fairfax Radio Foxtel Hoyts Cinema JC Decaux King & Wood Mallesons M&C Saatchi Nine Network Ooh! Media Seven Network Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Sticky Digital
Promising step forward for triple negative breast cancer treatment Posted on January 27, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer researchers in the UK have linked an overactive gene to a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer called “triple negative” breast cancer. The team, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge, identified the gene called BCL11A as especially active in triple negative breast cancer, raising hope for those affected by this cancer type. Prognosis for triple negative cancers is generally poorer than for other forms as there is limited knowledge of the distinct genetic properties of the disease, making the development of new treatments difficult. Generally, therapies used in treating other breast cancer types, like tamoxifen, do not work on this type of cancer because triple negative tumour cells lack three of the different ‘receptor’ molecules that are targeted by the treatments. Most triple-negative breast cancer tumours are of a genetic type called ‘basal-like’. BCL11A was found to be overactive in tumour samples from around eight in 10 patients with the ‘basal-like’ disease. Dr Pentao Liu, senior author on the study, said BCL11A activity stood out as being particularly active in samples from triple negative cancers. Dr Walid Khaled, co-author on the study said, “Our studies in human cells clearly marked BCL11A as a novel driver for triple-negative breast cancers.” This discovery builds on researchers’ work to develop a broader understanding of breast cancer which will inform clinical decisions, treatment choices and finding new therapies. For more information, please click here.
Six more ovarian cancer risk genes found Posted on January 22, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit QIMR Berghofer and the University of Cambridge have led an international study, finding six new gene regions which increase a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer. The number of ovarian cancer risk susceptibility regions identified has therefore increased, from 12 to 18. Although these risk gene variants, or “typos”, are much more subtle than the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, incorporating them into tests which predict a woman’s ovarian cancer risk would be more precise. Head of QIMR Berghofer’s Cancer Program, Professor Georgia Chenevix-Trench said “Individually, each of these ‘typos’ increases the risk of cancer by a very small amount.” “However, if a woman carries a large number of these ‘typos’ her risk of developing ovarian cancer may be as high as that conferred by mutations in BRCA1 or 2.” QIMR Berghofer scientists are now part of an even bigger study which is likely to double the number of gene regions known to increase ovarian cancer risk. “Once we identify each of these genetic ‘typos’, the next challenge is to find out the way they work – both individually and together,” Professor Chenevix-Trench said. “Understanding how each of these variants works will eventually lead to an understanding how ovarian cancer develops, and how to develop better reduction medications and treatments.” The ACRF is proud to have provided over $6 million in grants funding to QIMR Berghofer since 2002, for technologies and infrastructure with the power to speed up lifesaving discoveries across many cancer types.
New Year. New Goals. Welcome to 2015. Posted on January 5, 2015February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit We’re so excited to be starting off 2015 with some great opportunities for supporters to get involved in and help reach those New Year’s resolutions! If you’re interested in bringing some positive karma to your 2015, read up on some of our great fundraising opportunities below: Lose it In 2014 we saw many brave, wonderful supporters shave or cut off their lovely long hair to help raise funds for cancer research. Many of our head-shave heroes did so in support of loved ones battling cancer, or in memory of those they have sadly lost. They raised an incredible amount for cancer research in Australia and many, in addition to this most generous act of bravery, donated their lovely hair to the Beautiful Lengths program, which makes wigs for patients currently being treated for cancer. So, if you feel like you’re due for a change in the hair department, why not make a fundraising goal out of it? You can read more about our head-shave program here. Move it Many people add at least one health and fitness goal to their New Year’s resolutions. Fitness fundraising doesn’t have to be about running a marathon – there are so many other ways you can be active while raising funds for cancer research! This year we have a fantastic, and very exclusive, opportunity for 10 fundraisers to travel to France and take on one of the stages of the world famous Tour de France! The ACRF is the only Australian charity providing spots in L’Etape du Tour. If cycling isn’t one of your strengths, that’s ok – we have so many fitness and endurance events coming up! Take a look at our events calendar to see what’s on. Plan it If you’re not much of a fitness event lover, but feel like you still want to do something, put your events planning skills to the test and organise a fundraising event for cancer research! From local events such as a true-blue Aussie sausage sizzle, to big fancy gala balls, the sky is the limit when it comes to what you want to do to help put an end to cancer for future generations. Our wonderful fundraising team is always available to talk through any ideas you may have and help you organise or sort through the nitty-gritty details. Work it Many of us working full-time can find it hard to create time outside of work to help our favourite causes. But did you know that by simply opting to donate on a regular basis you’ll be providing our amazing cancer researchers with a stable future to continue their life-saving work? If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to give back to the community in 2015 why not sign up to be a Workplace Giver? And if work isn’t on the cards, but you still like the sound of regular gifts to cancer research, you can sign up as an ACRF Partner in the Cure. Our regular giving program is a great way to ensure you’re doing your part to help end cancer. Whatever your goals for 2015 may be, we wish you a happy, peaceful and prosperous year and thank you very much for your dedication to helping us reach our goal – to end cancer for good.
New treatment options possible with bowel cancer discovery Posted on December 23, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Melbourne cancer scientists believe they have found a cause for the onset and acceleration of bowel cancer. Being the third most common cancer in Australia, this exciting discovery opens up the possibility for new ways to treat bowel cancer, bringing hope to patients suffering from the disease. Researchers from the prestigious Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre found a two-part failure in bowel cancer cells. Essentially, the mechanisms which stop a cell from multiplying uncontrollably, stop working in bowel cancer cells. This failure causes the acceleration of the disease and, additionally, the development of resistance to cancer treatments. This two-part failure is known as “chromosomal instability” and is caused by a signalling network in the cell called the Wnt Pathway. “Previously, in most bowel cancers, we thought this instability built up randomly over time as cancer cells evolved, while a signalling network, called the Wnt pathway, held cells back from chromosome chaos,” Professor Rob Ramsay said. “Now we have proven this instability begins immediately with the breakdown of the Wnt pathway, which occurs in two steps and sets off an unstoppable acceleration of disease. “Just as the loss of firstly the handbrake, followed by the secondary loss of a foot brake, both combine to allow a car to career down a hill.” Chromosomal instability was found in 85 per cent of tumours in people with bowel cancer. Professor Ramsay says the “double breakdown” in the Wnt pathway sparked complex evolution in the genetic make-up of bowel cancers. “The dramatic genomic changes cells go through gives the cancer a breadth of opportunities to rapidly evolve, to deceive and outflank the cancer treatments.” Professor Ramsay said the findings open up potential new treatment possibilities. “This fundamental new information reaffirms why the Wnt pathway should be a high priority target of new treatment development, and the genetic clues uncovered by our research will help guide the selection of patients for different therapies, some of which are currently available,” he said.
Cabe to lose his locks after Rottnest fundraising swim. Posted on December 19, 2014April 28, 2020 by Carly du Toit The Rottnest Channel Swim in WA is set to end its 25th event with a very close shave. Cabe Paparone, at just 23 years old, has decided the February 2015 swim will be the day he loses his lovely locks that he has been growing for the last three years. Cabe had originally decided to compete in the 2012 swim. However, when Cabe’s dad Claude was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer, he withdrew to help his dad instead. Very sadly, Claude passed away aged 52 in September this year. “On what will almost be three years to the day that dad was diagnosed, I will be swimming the 2015 Rottnest Swim in a team with three other mates and shaving my hair once we have completed the crossing,” said Cabe. Once Cabe and his team of three other mates complete the 19.7km swim, he will have his head shaved on the beach. “As soon as he got sick I decided to grow it,” Cabe said. “I was only going to grow it for a year, but thought no one would donate any money so I’d better keep on growing it.” Cabe already has several eager volunteers putting their hands up to take part in the chop. Behind the clippers will be Cabe’s sister Romy, and brothers Marco and Jack. Cabe told us his reason for supporting cancer research is because “we would like to contribute to research that assists people living with cancer to achieve the best care and treatment available.” We’d like to extend our deepest sympathies to Cabe and his family for their loss, but also say a very big thank you taking on two amazing challenges in the New Year. Thank you Cabe. For more information you can see Cabe’s fundraising page here.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas Posted on December 15, 2014November 16, 2022 by Carly du Toit From all of us here at the ACRF, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy and safe holiday this Christmas. Whatever you may be doing we hope you are surrounded by lots of laughter and smiles. Because of you, our amazing supporters, we surpassed $100 million in grants funding this year – what a great way to end 2014! We’re looking forward to an even better 2015, helping cancer researchers in their mission to end cancer. Please note we will be taking a short break over the Christmas holiday, with our office closing at COB Tuesday 23 December, 2014 and reopening on Monday 5 January, 2015. If you would like to get a kick-start on those good 2015 vibes, please feel free to donate via our secure web portal where our online donation elves will be working hard to process your Christmas donations and issue your receipts ASAP. As a final thank you for all your support this year we’ve put together this short video below. We look forward to staying in touch throughout 2015. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
World first brain cancer trial raises hopes for patients and families. Posted on November 26, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A world-first trial will test an experimental brain cancer treatment which targets the surface of tumour cells expressing a cancer protein called EphA3. The drug has already shown successful results in phase I clinical trials for leukaemia patients, and cancer scientists are now keen to test its effectiveness on solid tumours. This world-first clinical trial on patients suffering from recurrent Glioblastoma (GBM) resulted from major discoveries by a team of scientists at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) and Monash University. Dr Bryan Day and Dr Brett Stringer, who led the research at QIMR Berghofer, said the study builds on work carried out by the collaborative research team for over more than a decade. “The protein – EphA3 – was discovered by QIMR Berghofer scientist Professor Andrew Boyd in 1992,” said Dr Day. Dr Stringer said the upcoming GBM trial would be the first test of the drug against solid tumours, as opposed to blood cancers. “Unfortunately most new drugs tested for GBM have returned disappointing results and patients have very few treatment options,” he said. “Once we begin recruiting, this study will have an immediate impact by giving patients access to an innovative treatment which has shown great potential in laboratory testing.” GBM is the most common primary adult brain cancer and is almost always fatal, killing about 1,000 Australians every year. Dr Day and Dr Stringer said this trial gives researchers an excellent start to developing a much-needed treatment for patients with aggressive GBM. “The study will determine how patients tolerate the drug and how their tumours respond,” they said. “There is also a very important imaging component with brain scans to be performed to detect the borders of the tumours and determine how much of the drug crosses from the blood into the brain to reach the tumour.”
Existing drug for bone disease shows promising anti-cancer properties Posted on November 17, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit An existing drug, currently used to treat patients suffering from osteoporosis and some late-stage bone cancers, has now shown potential to treat other cancers outside of the skeletal system, such as breast cancer. Several clinical trials, where women with early-stage breast cancer were given this drug, called ‘bisphosphonates’, alongside normal treatment for the disease, have resulted in a ‘survival advantage’ and, in some cases, stopped the cancer from spreading. A new study by Professor Mike Rogers, Dr Tri Phan and Dr Simon Junankar from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research found, using sophisticated imaging technologies, has revealed more information about how this advantage works. They found the bisphosphonates attach to tiny calcifications within the tumours. These calcium-drug combinations are then devoured by ‘macrophages’, immune cells that the cancer hijacks early in its development to conceal its existence. “We do not yet fully understand how the macrophages revert from being ‘bad cops’ to being ‘good cops’, although it is clear that this immune cell interacts with tumours, and probably changes its function in the presence of bisphosphonates,” said Professor Rogers. “Our next step will be to analyse the changes that take place in macrophages, so that we can understand their change in function, and effect on cancer cells.” Professor Rogers explains cancer scientists already know that the drug is well-tolerated in people, providing a “survival advantage” for some patients with certain cancers when taken early in disease development. “This now provides a rationale for using these drugs in a different, and potentially more effective, way in the clinic,” said Professor Rogers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Potential early intervention for those susceptible to pancreatic cancer Posted on October 22, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australian clinical researchers have found that early detection may be possible for people who are genetically susceptible to pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has been found to be a very slow growing disease in the early stages, taking between 10 and 20 years to develop. A very “broad window” therefore exists for intervention, provided certain genetic factors are detected early. The Garvan Institute of Medical Research’s Dr Jeremy Humphris and Professor Andrew Biankin (Professor Biankin is also Regius Professor of Surgery at the University of Glasgow), analysed medical histories and tumour samples taken from 766 pancreatic cancer patients, operated on between 1994 and 2012. They found that roughly 9% of these patients had a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with pancreatic cancer. Patients with a close relative who developed pancreatic cancer were more likely to develop cancer in their life-time and 71 per cent of children whose parents had pancreatic cancer were found to have developed the same cancer but 10 years earlier than the parent’s own diagnosis age (known as ‘anticipation’). These genetic factors, as well as the knowledge that the greatest known risk factors are cigarette smoking, diabetes, obesity and, to a lesser extent, alcohol consumption should make it possible for scientists and GPs to identify novel susceptibility genes, and at the same time design risk management and screening programs for the genetically susceptible group. “Our findings suggest that when we’re assessing someone, it’s important to understand the family history – not just of pancreatic cancer, but other malignancies too,” said Dr Humphris. “Smoking led to a much earlier onset of disease, so obviously you would counsel against smoking, especially in those who are genetically susceptible.” Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. This very low survival rate is generally due to the fact that diagnosis comes only after the disease is advanced or has spread – making a case for early detection methods. Professor Biankin said “a better understanding of the clinical features of genetically at-risk individuals will help us identify susceptibility genes as well as those who might benefit from genetic counselling and screening for detection of early disease”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Millions in private funding set for top cancer scientists in Australia Posted on October 13, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Every year the Australian Cancer Research Foundation provides multi-million dollar grants to support research projects of the highest calibre in Australia. Last week the ACRF Research Advisory Committee met with the six shortlisted applicants to hear more about their proposed projects for research funding. Chaired by Prof. Ian Fraser AC, the Committee is made up of 14 esteemed cancer scientists. “There has been a particular interest this year in new technology for looking for molecules which fingerprint cancer cells, and for the genetic mistakes that fingerprint cancer cells,” said Prof. Frazer, following the grant interviews. This year Committee member, A/Prof. Connie Trimble from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, travelled to Australia to join our panel of judges over the two day interview process. Her experience and perspective on the international research stage will ensure that the successful ACRF grant recipients represent the cutting-edge of world research. The shortlisted research groups, which were selected based on their significant potential to make an impact on cancer diagnosis, treatment and/or cure, represent a need for almost $25.M in funding. The six shortlisted applicants are from all over Australia, covering research into all cancers. These are: Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, VIC Develop a purpose-built facility specialising in developing new targeted therapies for all types of cancer. Monash Institute of Medical Research – Prince Henry Hospital, Melbourne, VIC Expansion of an existing ACRF centre to tackle issues such as early detection, tumour diversity and drug resistance. University of Queensland Centre for Advanced Imaging, Brisbane, QLD A facility specialising in the development and validation of novel molecular imaging agents for cancer. Children’s Cancer Institute, Sydney, NSW Create an integrated and dedicated child cancer precision medicine centre, focused on delivering personalised therapies for Australian children at high risk of treatment failure. Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW Build a space housing super-computer resources for a team of bioinformatics scientists, working towards the analysis of biological changes due to cancer treatment and disease progression. Sydney University Central Clinical School, Sydney, NSW Develop an ACRF imaging centre which will pioneer targeted radiotherapy and provide an opportunity for academia, medicine, industry and government to collaborate on the science and clinical practice of cancer treatment. The recipients of the 2014 grants will be announced in November. If you would like to read more about our grants process or to find out our past grants recipients please click here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Deb want’s to challenge you to Live A Little! Posted on September 29, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit We have some pretty amazing supporters here at the Australian Cancer Research Foundation! Deb McNaughton, who has already raised $8,500 for cancer research, has begun a social challenge for 2014 called “Live a Little”. After one week, Deb has already raised over $2,000 towards her $5,000 goal. The basic idea around the “Live a Little” 2014 challenge is to do something you wouldn’t usually do; something out of the ordinary. Deb explains that people who want to take part in the challenge can make it extreme or simple, crazy or kind, scary or funny, ridiculous or revolting. Most of all…they need to MAKE IT COUNT! If you’re interested in living a little and getting involved in the “Live a Little 2014 Challenge” here’s what you can do: Upload a photo/video of you (individual or group) ‘living a little’ to Facebook or Instagram. Remember to tag with #livealittle Donate to: http://give.everydayhero.com/au/live-a-little Challenge/nominate as many friends as you like to make a difference and LIVE A LITTLE – because you can! Get on board with the Live a Little challenge now and help fight cancer. A big thank you to Deb for creating this great fundraising challenge![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Team ACRF takes on Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Posted on September 25, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit More than 34,000 runners and walkers flooded over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday 21 September to take on the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival events. The ACRF was humbled that 400 of those people were participating in support of cancer research. They were running in memory or support of loved ones, and tackling the challenge of either the full or half marathons or enjoying the atmosphere and scenery of the shorter bridge and family funs. Together, our amazing supporters have generated over $40,000 for cancer research in Australia at the Blackmores event and we are so very grateful for the dedication and massive support we have received! Our highest fundraisers for the event included Nikki and Joey, who ran for cancer research in memory of a very close friend, Sarah. Sarah recently passed away from a rare type of bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma . The girls set themselves the gruelling challenge of running the half-marathon course in Sarah’s memory. Not only did they smash through the course but they also smashed their fundraising target, raising over an incredible $11,000! Nikki and Joey represent so many wonderful runners, each of whom had an emotional reason to go the extra mile. We thank them so very much for their dedication and support. We’re incredibly humbled. Along with our amazing runners we also had 15 volunteers who arrived at the crack of dawn to help the event run by setting-up and manning the drinks station. We’d like to send a big thank you to our volunteers, including our teams from the UNSW Volunteer Army and corporate supporters Excelian, Makinson d’Apice and Leighton. We hope you had a memorable and most enjoyable day![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
New Hope for Sufferers of Ovarian Cancer Posted on September 11, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australian experts say new drug developments and individualised treatments are bolstering efforts to improve the prognosis for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Professor Martin Oehler, Director of the Department of Gynaecological Oncology at Royal Adelaide Hospital, said the past 20 years had seen little improvement in the detection and treatment of ovarian cancer, but there are now many advances in the pipeline and the research community is ‘very positive and hopeful’. Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common type of ovarian cancer and develops in the epithelium, which is the surface of the ovary. There are currently no tests effective enough for a population based screening program for ovarian cancer, and symptoms can often be vague making early diagnosis difficult. International research efforts have been focused on early detection, and although technical limitations had so far prevented the development of a blood test to detect ovarian cancer researchers are now looking to the disease’s immune signature to aid early detection. Oncologist Dr Anne Hamilton from the ACRF-funded research institute Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said ‘the building blocks’ were now starting to fall into place and new drug therapies were showing promise. The Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, for which Dr Hamilton is a scientific advisor, is studying the genetic changes leading to the formation of cancers. “The study has already identified subgroups of ovarian cancer and what that’s giving us now is an ability to try to tailor treatment to six different types of ovarian cancer rather than one.” Dr Hamilton said. Researchers have realised that ovarian cancer is a very heterogeneous disease consisting of distinct subtypes of different origin that vary significantly with regard to molecular biology and clinical behaviour. With this increased knowledge, the hope is for the development of more innovative and targeted treatments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The Australian Cancer Research Foundation partners with SAHMRI in the fight against cancer Posted on September 8, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has awarded the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) $1.8 million in funding, acknowledging the promising future of cancer research in Australia. The funding from the ACRF will be used to establish the ACRF Innovative Cancer Imaging and Therapeutics Facility housed at SAHMRI and within a new health and biomedical precinct in Adelaide that will enable the Institute’s researchers, and their collaborators, to rapidly translate basic biomedical research discoveries to novel cancer therapies. This facility will provide cancer researchers with the tools necessary to perform cutting-edge research and will build cancer research capacity across South Australia. SAHMRI’s Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh said the Institute is thrilled with the announcement. “We are so honoured to receive this generous award from the ACRF. We have all been touched by cancer in some shape or form, and know its devastating effects. This award will enable us to seek better treatments, cures and even ways to prevent this disease in its many manifestations. “The ACRF Innovative Cancer Imaging and Therapeutics Facility will facilitate groundbreaking cancer research by providing investigators with access to biomedical imaging technologies, such as advanced flow cytometry, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). “This facility will play a pivotal role in translating biomedical discoveries to therapies that will directly impact the health and survival of cancer patients, and we are extremely grateful to the ACRF for their support and fantastic work.” The ACRF has been awarding major grants in excess of $1 million and up to $5 million, for building and updating research centres and laboratories, purchasing the latest technology and equipment and the establishment of national facilities in Australia, since its inception in 1984.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
‘Liquid’ cancer test to replace invasive biopsies Posted on September 5, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A ‘liquid biopsy’ developed by Melbourne researchers has the potential to determine whether malignant tumours are shrinking, faster and more accurately than ever before. This simple new test would replace invasive tissue biopsies by analysing cancer tumour DNA in the blood. Clinician researcher Dr Sarah-Jane Dawson from ACRF-funded research institute Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said looking for this circulating tumour DNA in blood had been like ‘looking for a needle in a haystack’. However new-generation genetic sequencing allows a complete snapshot of the cancer to be captured as it evolves. “As the cancer cells turn over they release their DNA into the bloodstream. While we’ve known this for some time, it’s only been recently with advances in genomic technologies that we now have sensitive techniques that allow us to very precisely identify this small fraction of tumour DNA in the blood.” “We think this is a really exciting development and it does hold a lot of promise for making a big difference to the management of cancer patients.” Dr Dawson said. A clinical trial testing the liquid biopsy in Victorian breast cancer patients is due to begin next year. Dr Dawson said in an ideal world, regular biopsies would be taken during someone’s treatment. But often that’s not feasible, and it’s invasive. “By repeating these blood tests regularly, they may give us a very accurate understanding of whether someone is responding to their treatment or not — which is very important for a woman to understand.” “She doesn’t want to be on a treatment that’s not working, or be exposed unnecessarily to side-effects, when she could be switched to a therapy that could be more effective,” Dr Dawson said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Professor Haber wins NSW Cancer Researcher of the Year Posted on August 25, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The annual Cancer Institute NSW’s Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research were awarded last Friday evening at Sydney Town Hall and we are extremely proud to announce that ACRF Medical Research Advisory Committee member Professor Michelle Haber AM has been awarded the Outstanding Cancer Researcher Award for 2014. This prestigious award honours an individual who has made significant and fundamental contributions to any field of cancer research in NSW, and comes with a prize of $50,000 to further the recipient’s research endeavours. Professor Haber is the Executive Director of the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia, and has previously been awarded the Excellence in Translational Research Award at the Premier’s Awards in 2012. She is internationally recognised for her world-class research into the treatment of neuroblastoma and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children. We are very proud to count Professor Haber as a member of the ACRF Medical Research Advisory Committee. Committee members are cancer scientists of the highest national and, in many cases, global repute. They are leaders in Australian cancer research and advise the ACRF on applications received for ACRF grants funding, making recommendations to the Board of Trustees of ACRF as to where grants should be awarded for maximum impact and innovation in cancer prevention, diagnosis and cure. Excellence in children’s cancer research was further recognised on the night with the Premier’s Rising Star Award and the Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow of the Year going to members of the Kids Cancer Alliance. Associate Professor Georgina Long from the Melanoma Institute Australia was awarded the Wildfire Award, and collaborations working in haematological clinical research and asbestos research were also acknowledged for their efforts in their fields.
New method of treating solid tumours discovered from existing research Posted on August 19, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A team of international scientists from ACRF-funded research institutes Monash University and Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research have uncovered that an antibody against the protein EphA3, could potentially be applied to treat a wide range of different cancers. The protein EphA3 was discovered in 1992 by Professor Andrew Boyd for its role in promoting leukaemia cancer cells and an anti-body is now in clinical trials to treat this mutation in leukaemias. Further discoveries showed aggressive brain tumours could also be targeted by this therapy, which you can read about here. EphA3 is present in normal organs only during embryonic development but is released in blood cancers and solid tumours, fuelling cancer growth and providing a target for anti-bodies. The research team led jointly by the late Professor Martin Lackmann, from the School of Biomedical Studies at Monash; and Professor Andrew Scott, from Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research used laboratory models of prostate cancer to mimic disease progression in humans. EphA3 was found in stromal cells and blood vessels surrounding the tumour and they observed that treatment with an antibody against EhpA3 (chIIIA4) significantly slowed tumour growth. The antibody damaged tumour blood vessels and disrupted the stromal micro-environment, and cancer cells died because their ‘life-support’ was restricted. Professor Scott said, “in addition, we screened various tumours from patient biopsies – sarcomas, melanomas as well as prostate, colon, breast, brain and lung cancers – and confirmed EphA3 expression on stromal cells and newly forming blood vessels.” “Our research findings indicate that the tumour micro-environment is important, and monoclonal antibodies against EphA3 are one way to target and kill a variety of solid tumours as well as blood cancer.” [Pictured above: Professor Andrew Scott from Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research receiving a recent ACRF grant of $2 million.][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
July News 2014 Posted on July 31, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit July 2014 Newsletter In the July edition: New targeted research could offer alternative treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia The search for early markers of brain cancer is supported with ACRF funding James Robson takes on the Iron Man challenge in support of cancer research ACRF golf day tees up fundraising success
VCFG publishes first genome-wide screen Posted on July 21, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The ACRF-funded Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics (VCFG) at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has published its first genome-wide screen, in an open-access journal ‘Scientific Data’, allowing researchers around the world to benefit from the findings. As the lead article in ‘Scientific Data’, which is produced by the prestigious Nature publishing group, the paper details how the VCFG performs genome screens, which help researchers understand the functional role of every gene in the genome in cancer cell growth and cancer cell death. Continue reading “VCFG publishes first genome-wide screen”
New targeted research could offer alternative treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Posted on July 18, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit ACRF-funded research teams across Australia have collaborated to develop a remarkable new treatment option for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and accelerate it into clinical trials. AML is a particularly aggressive form of cancer with poor survival rates; although chemotherapy can induce remission there is often a high chance of relapse. However, this new research, published in major international journal Cell Reports, details how a newly developed therapeutic antibody (CSL362) binds to the cancer cells and then recruits the body’s immune system to kill the cancer cells. Continue reading “New targeted research could offer alternative treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia”
Advances in Leukaemia therapy bring hope to patients worldwide Posted on July 2, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Two Australian research teams have made exciting progress into leukaemia treatments, raising hope for patients around the world suffering from the blood disease. In a study led by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Personalised Cancer Medicine, researchers are testing a promising new approach to killing off leukaemia cancer cells. They have found that cancer cells decide whether to live or die after a short period of intense exposure to a targeted therapy, reducing current treatment time, leading to reduced side effects in patients. Continue reading “Advances in Leukaemia therapy bring hope to patients worldwide”
June Research News 2014 Posted on June 15, 2014December 7, 2023 by Carly du Toit In this edition: 10-year trial of melanoma vaccine shows most promising outcomes to date Gene discovery could stop spread of cancer through lymphatic system Global clinical trial shows promising results for lung cancer patients Newly-discovered gene linked to oesophageal cancer
Gene discovery could stop spread of cancer Posted on June 12, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Scientists from The University of Queensland’s Institute of Molecular Bioscience (IMB) have discovered a gene called ccbe1 that could be targeted to help stop the spread of cancer. Cancer scientist from IMB, Dr Ben Hogan, led a team that discovered how the gene works to. “Lymphatic vessels carry lymph fluid around the body, transporting important substances like white blood cells, dietary fats and filtering excess fluid from our tissues back into our blood stream,” Dr Hogan said. Continue reading “Gene discovery could stop spread of cancer”
May News 2014 Posted on May 30, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Newly discovered oesophageal cancer gene leads to potential new treatment CSR forum brings corporates together on creating shared value ACRF fundraisers have their eyes on the finish line ACRF welcomes new CEO
World No Tobacco Day Posted on May 29, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Every 31st of May, The World Health Organisation (WHO) marks World No Tobacco Day, to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use, and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers succumbing to second-hand smoke. Lung cancer, which can be associated with smoking tobacco, is one of the most common causes of cancer death for men and women in Australia. Continue reading “World No Tobacco Day”
ACRF supporters Run For A Reason and raise over $70,000! Posted on May 27, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit From the serious runners to The Incredible Hulk, thousands of runners hit the pavement to take part in the fifth annual HBF Run For A Reason in Perth on Sunday. A record number of people took part with nearly 30,000 runners – some in costume, others decked out in t-shirts displaying the faces or names of loved ones they were running for – taking on the 4km and 12km courses. The ACRF was lucky enough to have 104 runners support cancer research in Australia, with team ACRF raising over $70,000! We would like to send a big thank you to all of our fundraisers for all their hard work and fundraising efforts! Continue reading “ACRF supporters Run For A Reason and raise over $70,000!”
ACRF Canberra supporters tour the John Curtin School of Medical Research Posted on May 22, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Last week our valued supporters in Canberra attended an afternoon tour of the esteemed John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR). Our 27 guests were treated to a lovely afternoon tea, where they heard from respected ACRF board member, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC AFC (ret’d) as well as head of the Cancer and Vascular Biology Group, at JCSMR, and 2014 Canberra Citizen of the Year, Professor Chris Parish. Our supporters were then split into two groups and taken on a tour around the John Curtin School of Medical Research. Continue reading “ACRF Canberra supporters tour the John Curtin School of Medical Research”
Skin Cancer Prevention – Promising Results Posted on May 22, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A study by researchers at Brisbane’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has revealed some very promising statistics about one of Australia’s most deadly cancers – Melanoma. With an estimated 12,000 people diagnosed with melanoma in 2012 it is Australia’s third most common cancer type. The study, which analysed melanoma cases among 15 to 24 year olds in Queensland from 1982 to 2010, has shown there has been a five per cent a year decline among teenagers and young adults developing the disease from the mid-1990s to 2010. Additionally, for people aged 20 to 24, the rate has fallen from 25 cases per 100,000 in 1996 to 14 per 100,000 in 2010. Continue reading “Skin Cancer Prevention – Promising Results”
Half marathon runners raise over $83K for cancer research in Aus! Posted on May 20, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit 12,000 runners hit the pavement on Sunday for the 23rd annual Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon Competitors, geared up for their 21.1 km journey, were seen off by official event ambassador Stephanie Rice, who fired the starting gun. Runners were presented with a beautiful morning in Sydney as they raced, jogged or walked their way from St Mary’s Cathedral, past some of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation was lucky enough to have 83 dedicated runners choose to be a part of the ACRF Half marathon team! And what a fantastic job they all did! Continue reading “Half marathon runners raise over $83K for cancer research in Aus!”
ACRF welcomes distinguished scientist and businessman, Dr. Ian Brown, as new CEO Posted on May 18, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Today we are very excited to announce the appointment of distinguished scientist and businessman, Dr Ian Brown, as the new leader of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Dr Brown will succeed long-serving CEO David Brettell who retires from ACRF on 10 July 2014. Dr. Brown was the former CEO and Managing Director of the highly successful Clover Corporation, which focused on bio-delivery systems for nutritionally important ingredients and which is publicly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Chairman of the ACRF, Mr. Tom Dery said, “Dr. Brown comes to us with considerable international experience. His business acumen will help take ACRF to another level and we’re tremendously excited by the potential to further accelerate our contribution to world-class cancer research. We look forward to building on our crucial role in funding scientific breakthroughs of the future” Continue reading “ACRF welcomes distinguished scientist and businessman, Dr. Ian Brown, as new CEO”
Newly-discovered gene linked to oesophageal cancer leads to potential new treatments Posted on May 18, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A newly-discovered gene linked to oesophageal cancer holds the promise of new treatments for this notoriously difficult-to-fight disease. Researchers at Cambridge University in the UK have found a gene called TRIM44 which plays a key role in the development of oesophageal cancer. The discovery of this gene has also led to finding the disease’s key driver. The new research has revealed that when multiple copies (called over-expressions) of the TRIM44 gene are found in a patient this leads to higher activity of the mTOR gene, which regulates cell growth and division – a process that, when uncontrolled, can lead to cancer. Continue reading “Newly-discovered gene linked to oesophageal cancer leads to potential new treatments”
New leader for top Australian cancer research funding body Posted on May 14, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has appointed distinguished scientist and businessman Dr. Ian Brown as its new Chief Executive. ACRF’s research grants, which will top the $100 million mark this year, have provided Australia’s best cancer scientists with the technologies, equipment and infrastructure needed to speed up discoveries and stay at the forefront of medical research. ACRF Chairman Tom Dery said the foundation was thrilled to welcome Dr Brown who is currently an adjunct professor at Flinders University in Adelaide and special visiting professor at the University of Colorado in the US. Continue reading “New leader for top Australian cancer research funding body”
ACRF hosts successful Corporate Social Responsibility breakfast event! Posted on May 13, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit It’s all about creating shared value amongst stakeholders. At least that was the topic of today’s successful Corporate Social Responsibility breakfast event with almost 50 corporate attendees looking forward to listening to this hot-topic discussion. The ACRF was lucky enough to secure Deloitte’s Non-for-profit special group National Director, Tharani Jegatheeswaran, as the keynote speaker; as well as a panel discussion of leaders in the field of corporate philanthropy, including: Wendy Mason, Head of the Commonwealth Bank Foundation, Commonwealth Bank, Ro Coroneos, Manager, Community and Social Strategy, Barangaroo South, Lend Lease, Chris Drayton, Partner, Makinson & d’Apice Lawyers. Continue reading “ACRF hosts successful Corporate Social Responsibility breakfast event!”
Promising results in world-first trials for aggressive brain cancer treatment Posted on May 8, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A major breakthrough in the treatment of aggressive brain cancer called Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), using immunology has been made by scientists at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain cancer, diagnosed in about 800 Australians every year with, unfortunately very low five year survival rates. The research used immunology to attack the cancer, and found that of the study participants lived much longer than the six-month prognosis normally given to a patient with recurrent GBM. Some patients showed no signs of disease progression at all. Continue reading “Promising results in world-first trials for aggressive brain cancer treatment”
Have a Cuppa for Cancer and help fund research into prevention, diagnosis and cures! Posted on May 8, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit This month, why not get a group together for a morning (or afternoon) tea party and support world-class cancer research? With cancer being labelled the world’s number one killer – affecting people of all ages and backgrounds, the ACRF is often approached by community groups who wish to raise funds for cancer research. We are humbled and motivated by this dedication and so we’ve thought of a fun and inspirational way you and your community group can join in the fight against all cancers – and the Cuppa for Cancer event was born! Continue reading “Have a Cuppa for Cancer and help fund research into prevention, diagnosis and cures!”
Streetsmart Marketing helps “Secure the future” for cancer research in Australia! Posted on May 1, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit “Secure the Future” was a three day super-conference that took place in February in Sydney and Brisbane. In a massive act of generosity, the event organisers donated the cost of the base ticketing price to world-class cancer research in Australia! Mal Emery, CEO of Streetsmart Marketing and Co-Founder of “StreetSmart Business School” chose the Australian Cancer Research Foundation as the beneficiary of this event and has raised an incredible $70,000 through ticket sales, to help in the fight against cancer. Continue reading “Streetsmart Marketing helps “Secure the future” for cancer research in Australia!”
April News 2014 Posted on April 30, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Newly discovered breast cancer predictor will give women more effective treatment Mischa’s brave shave Discovery tour of the Kinghorn Cancer Centre Monster raffle and sausage sizzle brings community together for research
Monster raffle and sausage sizzle brings community together for research Posted on April 29, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Natasha Tiedt has astounded us with what can only be achieved by the power of the community. Together with her colleagues at Lynch’s Pub in Narooma, NSW, Natasha has organised a fantastic cancer fundraising raffle and sausage sizzle – rallying families and businesses within the community to contribute an incredibly generous $7,400+ for world-class cancer research! Natasha instigated the monster raffle event to raise funds for world-class cancer research in Australia after seeing members of her own family and the Lynch’s Pub family and patrons fight various battles with cancer. Continue reading “Monster raffle and sausage sizzle brings community together for research”
Powerful predictor discovered for aggressive breast cancers will ensure more effective treatment Posted on April 28, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A new, more powerful predictor for aggressive breast cancers, discovered by Dr Fares Al-Ejeh at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, will give women a more accurate prognosis and ensure they are receiving the most effective treatment for their breast-cancer type. Every woman’s breast cancer has its own individual gene fingerprint – a specific combination of genes. Dr Al-Ejeh’s research has found new gene “signatures” which can predict likely survival across breast cancer cases. Continue reading “Powerful predictor discovered for aggressive breast cancers will ensure more effective treatment”
International marathon season has kicked off! Posted on April 21, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit We’ve just finished cheering on our group of amazing runners as they took on the streets of Paris and London for their epic marathon charity challenges. Together, they raised over $70,000 for world-class cancer research – incredible!! Now, having witness some of the buzz, marathon runners all over the world are gearing up to secure a spot in next year’s international marathons. Places for both the London and Paris Marathon are hard to come by. Last year the London Marathon ballot closed in record time, after 125,000 applications were received in less than 12 hours. Only 40,000 odd will get selected to take on the exciting course. Continue reading “International marathon season has kicked off!”
March News 2014 Posted on March 31, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Personalised lung cancer treatment enters next trial stage #NoMakeUpSelfies raise $20K Bexley North Cancerians celebrate St Paddy’s Day with the ACRF Join us for our Golf Day at the NSW Golf Club, La Perouse
Global clinical trial shows promise for new lung cancer treatment Posted on March 31, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Young lung cancer patients in Victoria have become some of the first in the world to benefit from a new targeted therapy which has minimised tumours and improved symptoms in a Phase I clinical trial. The global clinical trial tested 130 patients with a specific type of lung cancer, containing a change in a gene called ALK. The ALK gene has been found to create “immortal” cells which never seem to switch off, meaning they are constantly in over-drive, growing and proliferating. A tablet therapy, called ceretinib works as an ALK inhibitor, shrinking tumours and resolving symptoms of the cancer. Continue reading “Global clinical trial shows promise for new lung cancer treatment”
#NoMakeUpSelfie campaign for cancer research Posted on March 21, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In just a few days we were overwhelmed with support for the #NoMakeUpSelfie campaign for cancer research. The power of social media is incredible! In just over a week the #NoMakeUpSelfie supporters helped raise over $25,000 for cancer research in Australia! The #NoMakeUpSelfie campaign for cancer research was one of the biggest viral social media campaigns for 2014. Women all over the world are posting makeup-free selfies online with the hashtag #nomakeupselfie, before making a donation to cancer research, and spreading the word by nominating their friends to do the same. The campaign started over in the UK with Cancer Research UK using the movement to raise vital dollars for cancer research – and now it has reached Australian shores! Continue reading “#NoMakeUpSelfie campaign for cancer research”
Fighting cancer during NSW Seniors Week Posted on March 17, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Saturday 15 March to Sunday 23 March marks NSW Seniors Week, during which we are getting in touch with a very special group of people who are fighting cancer as volunteers, donors and supporters! NSW Senior’s Week is an annual celebration featuring hundreds of events held across NSW by government, community and commercial organisations. There’s something new for everyone to enjoy – art, technology, entertainment, health, wellbeing, sport and of course, giving to charity! One of the highlights of the week is the Seniors Week Expo held at the Qantas Credit Union Arena (The Entertainment Centre) which includes the Premier’s Gala Concerts and expo stalls. Continue reading “Fighting cancer during NSW Seniors Week”
March Research News 2014 Posted on March 15, 2014December 7, 2023 by Carly du Toit March Research Newsletter 2014 In this edition: New targeted therapy for adult leukaemia enters next trial phase Australian study reinforces HPV vaccine is saving lives Ovarian cancer markers to improve outlook for patients Stomach and bowel cancers respond to existing medication
Study reinforces HPV vaccine is saving lives Posted on March 5, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and the University of Queensland have found young women who received the HPV vaccine are far less likely to develop high-risk abnormalities that can lead to cervical cancer. They used Queensland Health datasets to show these women had a 46 % lower risk of developing high-grade changes in the cervix, compared with women who had not been vaccinated. Cervical cancer is one of the most common causes of gynaecological cancer, killing more than 200 Australian women every year. Continue reading “Study reinforces HPV vaccine is saving lives”
Starving cells could treat one of Australia’s deadliest diseases Posted on February 26, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australia has the highest rate of melanoma, globally. It is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and is the third most common cancer type in Australia. But Australian researchers at the Centenary Institute have bought hope to this statistic through the discovery that we could potentially treat, and even cure, melanoma by cutting off its food source. Last year the same team of researchers, led by Professor Jeff Holst, showed they could starve prostate cancer cells. This discovery has opened up the prospect of a class of drugs that could treat a range of cancers, including melanoma, in the same way. Continue reading “Starving cells could treat one of Australia’s deadliest diseases”
Ovarian Cancer Awareness month kicks off with significant discovery Posted on February 4, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit We begin Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month with news of fantastic progress by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), who have made significant headway into understanding one of the deadliest forms of the disease. These Aussie cancer scientists have identified two enzymes that make serous ovarian cancer resistant to chemotherapy, and can be targeted to improve treatment results. Serous ovarian cancer is generally an aggressive type of cancer. Due to its location it can move quickly from the ovaries to the abdominal cavity where it then spreads throughout the body quite rapidly. Continue reading “Ovarian Cancer Awareness month kicks off with significant discovery”
Ovarian Cancer Awareness month kicks off with significant discovery Posted on February 4, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit We begin Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month with news of fantastic progress by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), who have made significant headway into understanding one of the deadliest forms of the disease. These Aussie cancer scientists have identified two enzymes that make serous ovarian cancer resistant to chemotherapy, and can be targeted to improve treatment results. Serous ovarian cancer is generally an aggressive type of cancer. Due to its location it can move quickly from the ovaries to the abdominal cavity where it then spreads throughout the body quite rapidly. Continue reading “Ovarian Cancer Awareness month kicks off with significant discovery”
Experience the rainbow with this cancer fun run! Posted on January 21, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to become more active, healthier or fitter? Why not kick start your 2014, and your resolution, with a cancer fun run with a difference? Color Me Rad is a 5km cancer fun run where participants are showered in colour as they race towards the finish line! Color Me Rad has announced its inaugural Australian race on February 23 at Sydney’s Motor Sport Park out at Eastern Creek. In this un-timed event, the focus is purely on fun, and the fitness is an added bonus! What better way to kick off a health and fitness goal? Continue reading “Experience the rainbow with this cancer fun run!”
Tokyo to Osaka: A 36 hour fundraising cycle to bring in the New Year! Posted on January 14, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit “It’s for my Great Aunt Lynn, and the thousands of other brave souls in the world facing their personal battle against cancer, that I am undertaking this challenge.” This was ACRF supporter Andrew’s New Year’s Resolution for 2014. When he found out in December that his beloved Great Aunt Lynn had been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, Andrew knew he had to do something to show his support and love for a woman who had been such an inspiration to him; a woman he described as “brave, pure and a kind-hearted fighter”. Continue reading “Tokyo to Osaka: A 36 hour fundraising cycle to bring in the New Year!”
70% of cancer patients have new hope through WEHI discovery Posted on January 9, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A discovery led by Australian researchers at Melbourne’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) has given new hope to those suffering from certain types of lymphomas as well as other types of blood cancers and some solid tumours. For these types of cancers, which are driven by a cancer-causing protein, ‘MYC’, Dr Gemma Kelly, Dr Marco Herold, Professor Andreas Strasser and their research team at WEHI have uncovered a promising treatment strategy. MYC affects up to 70 per cent of human cancers, including many leukaemias and lymphomas. It is responsible for cancerous changes in cells by forcing them into abnormally rapid growth. But the WEHI research team have discovered that MYC activity is co-dependent on another protein, called MCL-1. Continue reading “70% of cancer patients have new hope through WEHI discovery”
Unprecedented success in trialling new adult leukaemia therapy Posted on December 13, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A new, potentially life-saving drug has raised new hope for patients in advanced stages of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia – one of the most common types of adult leukaemia in Australia. In many cases this cancer becomes resistant to traditional treatment methods such as chemotherapy. This is because of its high levels of a “pro-survival” protein called BCL-2 that render cancer cells, according to Walter and Eliza Hall Institute haematologist Prof. Andrew Roberts “basically indestructible”. Continue reading “Unprecedented success in trialling new adult leukaemia therapy”
Qantas team tackle 27km coastal trek in just one day! Posted on December 2, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Unpredictable weather in NSW this month was no match for the dedication and commitment of 30+ Qantas team members who tackled a 27km coastal trek this weekend. Lead by ACRF advocate and Qantas employee, Mina Masoumian, the ‘4th Annual Qantas 27km Coastal Walk’ kicked off bright and early, at 6:30am. The team set out to cover the coastline of the Royal National Park – from Otford to Bundeena – in just one day. After several hours of clambering up and down rocky spurs, making tracks along some picturesque beaches and hopping over bubbling creeks the team finished up their challenging trek at around 3pm at the lovely Bundeena Wharf. Continue reading “Qantas team tackle 27km coastal trek in just one day!”
New therapy in trial minimises side effects for leukaemia patients Posted on October 17, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australian researchers are trialing a drug which could bring new hope to people fighting adult leukaemia. This drug, known as KB004, targets a protein which is only found in cancerous stem cells. It is undetectable on normal cells, so when the therapy is administered, it targets only cancerous cells, minimising side effects. A team of Australian collaborators from ACRF-funded research institutes, including Dr. Martin Lackmann of Monash University, Melbourne; Dr. Andrew Boyd of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, and Dr. Andrew Scott of Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Melbourne, realised the potential of this protein – called EphA3 – as a drug target some years ago and successfully tested an antibody in their laboratories. The drug KB004 has since been developed from this antibody, and clinical trials have commenced. Continue reading “New therapy in trial minimises side effects for leukaemia patients”
Cancer researchers find prostate cancer “Achilles Heel” and move closer to a new treatment Posted on October 15, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit An international group of scientists from Australia and Canada are getting closer to a new treatment for prostate cancer that works by starving tumours of an essential nutrient. Dr Jeff Holst from Sydney’s Centenary Institute, and his colleagues from Adelaide, Brisbane and Vancouver have shown they can slow the growth of prostate cancer by stopping the protein ‘leucine’ from being pumped into tumour cells. Leucine is involved in cell division and making proteins. It ‘feeds’ cell growth by being pumped through ‘protein pumps’ on the surface of our cells. In 2011, Dr Holst and his colleagues showed that prostate cancer cells have more ‘protein pumps’ on their surface compared with normal cells. These pumps are allowing the cancer cell to take in more leucine, thereby stimulating overactive cell division. Continue reading “Cancer researchers find prostate cancer “Achilles Heel” and move closer to a new treatment”
Top Australian researchers bid for ACRF grants Posted on October 15, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Millions of dollars in ACRF funding will soon be awarded to Australia’s top cancer research teams, with this week heralding our final stage of assessments. Today and tomorrow, lead researchers from five shortlisted institutes will meet with the ACRF’s esteemed Advisory Committee (which is chaired by Professor Ian Frazer AC) for the final interviews which will ultimately determine the successful research teams. Shortlisted applicants include two institutes from Sydney: the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia, and the Children’s Medical Research Institute, as well as the QIMR Berghofer Cancer Research Institute in Brisbane, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide, and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Melbourne. Continue reading “Top Australian researchers bid for ACRF grants”
October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How ACRF Is Outsmarting Women’s Cancers this October Posted on October 8, 2013October 18, 2021 by Carly du Toit October is known around the world as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The aim of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to increase awareness of breast cancer and the impact it has as well as to raise much needed funds. To celebrate breast cancer awareness month, people engage in fundraising activities and purchase pink merchandise to raise money for this fantastic cause. At ACRF however, we refer to October as our “Women’s Cancer Month” – a time where we raise awareness and much needed funds for all types of cancer that affect Australian women, as cancer statistics show 1 in 4 Australian women will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 75. Why we are determined to find better prevention, detection and treatment methods for women’s cancers At ACRF, we are committed to improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer. That is why, this October we are focusing on all cancers that affect women, not just breast cancer. Every day up to 50 women in Australia are diagnosed with breast or gynaecological cancer. These cancer types include uterine, cervical, vulva and ovarian – cancers which are sometimes forgotten and unfortunately under-funded. Then there are other common women’s cancers which we need to remember this October: these include; bowel, lung and skin cancers. We are committed to funding research through our grants and research projects into these cancer types, bringing new hope to our mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins and friends around the world. Continue reading “October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How ACRF Is Outsmarting Women’s Cancers this October”
Make regular charity donations and become a Partner in the Cure! Posted on September 30, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Aussies are renowned for being very generous and those who decide to make regular charity donations to cancer research are part of a VIP group of ACRF supporters known as “Partners in the Cure”. Their generous monthly donation allows us to plan for a stable and supportive future for some of the best cancer researchers in Australia. These regular charity donations are helping us to fight cancer for patients (and their families) of this generation and the next. Our Partners in the Cure are part of the ACRF family and many have decided to join our cause by providing their monthly donations in memory of a loved one they have lost. Continue reading “Make regular charity donations and become a Partner in the Cure!”
Aussie researchers find genetic cause to the most common form of childhood cancer Posted on September 23, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australian researchers have uncovered the first ever genetic marker specific to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. Cancer scientists at the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA) and Sydney Children’s Hospital, along with a worldwide team of researchers, discovered the genetic link by studying families in which multiple cases of ALL have been diagnosed. Dr David Ziegler, Clinical Research Fellow at CCIA, paediatric oncologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital and lead Australian author of the research paper said, “Leukaemia cells often contain many different genetic mutations, making it difficult to detect which ones actually cause the leukaemia.” Continue reading “Aussie researchers find genetic cause to the most common form of childhood cancer”
Research news: spring 2013 Posted on September 16, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In the spring edition of the Research Review: Research advances building precision tools for diagnosis and cancer surgery. Breast cancer treatment could be enhanced with an existing anti-leukaemia compound. ‘Junk’ DNA and its role in cell growth and development
From trash to treasure: Junk DNA and its role in Cell Development Posted on August 7, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit 97% of human DNA that was previously considered ‘Junk’ could hold the key to finding new therapies for cancer, according to new research published in the prestigious ‘Cell’ journal. Junk DNA is characterised by genes which don’t encode proteins, and it has long been overlooked in medical research because of this reason (proteins have been considered the most important biochemical component of cells). However, using the latest gene sequencing techniques and analysis, a team led by Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital’s Professor John Rasko AO, together with Centenary’s Head of Bioinformatics Dr William Ritchie, have shown that particular white blood cells do use Junk DNA to regulate a group of genes that controls cell shape and function. Continue reading “From trash to treasure: Junk DNA and its role in Cell Development”
New surgical tool to improve accuracy in both diagnosis and treatment! Posted on July 22, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In an exciting development towards more accurate cancer surgery and tumour diagnosis, a surgical knife that tells the difference between healthy and cancerous tissue is being trialled in the UK. Surgeons from the Imperial College London have used this incredible piece of technology (called the iKnife) to analyse the vapour that is given off when electrical currents cut away tissue during surgery. The tool uses mass spectrometry to identify chemicals present in the tissue and then it reports, within 3 seconds, what the target tissue contains. Continue reading “New surgical tool to improve accuracy in both diagnosis and treatment!”
Treatment for breast cancer enhanced with anti-Leukaemia compound Posted on July 9, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit More than two decades of research at the Walter and Eliza Hall institute (WEHI) in Melbourne has culminated in a potentially life-saving discovery for women with the most common form of breast cancer. In the late 1980s scientists at the WEHI identified a “pro-survival” protein called BCL-2 that helps cancer cells to become immortal and resist treatments such as chemotherapy. This work has contributed to the development of a compound which neutralises this vital cancer protein, and it is now in clinical trials to treat some types of leukaemia. But latest news from the WEHI is that this compound has even more potential. In 85% of women with oestrogen receptor-positive (or ER-positive) breast cancer, researchers have found very high levels of the very same BCL-2 protein. Using the world-class facilities made possible through ACRF funding they were able to trial this ant-cancer compound in pre-clinical ER-positive breast cancer models, and found that it was successful when combined with an existing breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen. Continue reading “Treatment for breast cancer enhanced with anti-Leukaemia compound”
Pancreatic cancer research enhanced through new access to advanced nanotechnology Posted on June 22, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australian cancer researchers can now view never-before-seen images of how cancers respond to therapy, thanks to new access to an advanced imaging nanotechnology, based in the US. Dr Paul Timpson of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, in collaboration with a team from the UK, are using the Fluroescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) technologies to map areas within pancreatic cancers, pin-pointing where drugs need to be delivered to significantly improve patient survival. Continue reading “Pancreatic cancer research enhanced through new access to advanced nanotechnology”
Millions in private funding for top cancer research projects in Australia Posted on June 21, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Five of the best cancer research projects in the world stand to receive millions of dollars in funding, following the Australian Cancer Research Foundation’s announcement today of its shortlist for 2013 research grants. From twelve research proposals, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has shortlisted five for further assessment as a result of the world-class standard of proposed works, and the significant potential for this research to achieve major breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis, treatment and cure. Continue reading “Millions in private funding for top cancer research projects in Australia”
Our shortlist of the most innovative cancer research projects in Australia Posted on June 20, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The ACRF is very excited with the quality of the five shortlisted applications for our grants in 2013. Some of the very best researchers in the world feature in these applications. These final five applications represent a need for more than $20 million in advanced technologies and facilities. They cover many types of cancer, not just one or two. Our highly esteemed Medical Research Advisory Committee selected these particular projects for further review on two grounds – the world-class standard of the proposed research, and the potential to achieve major breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis, treatment and cure. That committee, led by Professor Ian Frazer, will now, through a detailed interview process, recommend to our Board the best of the best for ACRF funding. The final awardees will be publicly announced on 13 November this year. Every dollar we receive in donations this year will go to research that has the power to beat cancer. Please peruse the below, to find out where ACRF donations could be making a difference very soon. Continue reading “Our shortlist of the most innovative cancer research projects in Australia”
Cells involved in aggressive prostate cancer growth to be targeted in the disease’s early stages Posted on June 6, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A new sub-group of cells that influences prostate cancer recurrence has been identified by researchers at Monash University. The previously unidentified cells are present in the disease’s early stages, opening up new doors to develop a therapy which targets these cells and prevents the disease from progressing to an aggressive stage. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, claiming more than 3000 Australian lives and affecting up to 20,000 annually. For advanced cases, the best available treatment involves drugs that deprive the tumour of the male hormones which cause it to grow (androgen-deprivation therapy) . In many cases, the tumour can become resistant to this treatment leaving the patient with both debilitating side-effects and an aggressive new form of the prostate cancer. The new sub-group of cells identified by Monash researchers is involved in this very treatment resistance. Continue reading “Cells involved in aggressive prostate cancer growth to be targeted in the disease’s early stages”
Two new ACRF facilities in Melbourne will help fast-track discoveries Posted on May 16, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has opened two new world-class cancer research facilities in Melbourne; the new ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre at St Vincent’s Institute (SVI) and a new Cancer Imaging Facility at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. These centres represent $4 million in Australian Cancer Research Foundation funding that would not have been made possible without the support of our amazing donors. The potential for ground breaking discoveries within these world-class facilities is extremely exciting. Each of them houses the latest in advanced drug screening and imaging technologies, promising to find new treatment targets and therapeutic options faster than ever before. Please find details about each cancer research facility below. Continue reading “Two new ACRF facilities in Melbourne will help fast-track discoveries”
Australia’s best researchers request $49M from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, as the government commits to a boost in cancer care. Posted on May 15, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Australian Cancer Research Foundation is proud to have received 13 world-class cancer research grant applications after submissions for 2013 closed last Friday. The applications represent a need for $49 million in seed-funding for cutting-edge technologies and facilities, supporting the development of collaborative, innovative cancer research initiatives. Every year, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation awards up to $10 million in cancer research funding. But this response to our grants shows just how important it is for us to continue fundraising and building the profile of research in Australia. We received five applications from researchers in NSW, four from Victoria, three from Queensland and one from South Australia – it’s fantastic to see the research expertise within so many States represented in this mix. Continue reading “Australia’s best researchers request $49M from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, as the government commits to a boost in cancer care.”
Aussie researchers' ‘magic bullet’ gives new hope to children who relapse from blood cancer Posted on May 3, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Cancer scientists at the prestigious Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA) have discovered that an existing drug being trialled for adult cancer treatment also has the potential to treat children who relapse from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), one of the most common types of paediatric blood cancers. The current survival rate for children diagnosed with the ALL is 80 per cent, however if a child relapses this survival rate decreases to just 20 per cent. “What is so exciting about this drug is it has the potential to not only improve the survival rate of children who have relapsed but, since it acts as a ‘magic bullet’, it only targets the cancer cells, leaving the healthy cells untouched!” explains Professor Lock, Head of the Leukaemia Biology Program at CCIA. Dr David Ziegler, paediatric oncologist with the Sydney Children’s Hospital, said “Our patients and their parents can’t afford to wait years to have new treatments developed. We plan to start a clinical trial of this new therapy for children with leukaemia by the end of this year.” Continue reading “Aussie researchers' ‘magic bullet’ gives new hope to children who relapse from blood cancer”
Run for Gold in next year’s London Marathon! Posted on April 28, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Virgin London Marathon 2014 is one of the biggest marathons in the world, with around 35,000 competitors looking to complete the race each year. The ballot alone attracts more than 100,000 applications and generally is closed with-in 2 hours of being opened! Anybody who applies will have to wait until October 2013 to find out if they have been successful in securing a place for the April 2014 race. And with not even half of the people entering being picked, chances might seem a bit slim… This time last year Anouska “Noosh” Zerna was thinking exactly the same thing. She’d harboured the goal of running in the London Marathon for almost 7 years but had always put it off due to the feeling that a ballot entry ticket was too far out of reach. But then Noosh found an alternative. She applied for an ACRF Gold Charity fundraising spot– and in July 2012 her application was accepted. As an official Gold Charity fundraiser Noosh was given a fundraising target of $9,000. Noosh told us, “When I found out I had a place I was daunted, by both the amount of training and fundraising tasks ahead of me. However, once I started raising money and the momentum grew, it became apparent that the fundraising element would give my training extra focus – I couldn’t let down all the people who had supported me!” Continue reading “Run for Gold in next year’s London Marathon!”
Discovery brings hope for new tailor-made anti-cancer agents Posted on April 25, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) Melbourne have played a key role in developing a novel chemical compound which blocks a protein that has been linked to poor treatment responses in cancer patients. The development of this compound is an important step towards designing a potential new anti-cancer agent, which will help to significantly reduce resistance to therapy. The compound targets the function of a protein which prevents cells from dying. Cell death is an important safeguard against cancer development, but once cancer cells start growing, they can produce high levels of this protein which prevents this natural process. This also reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy and other anti-cancer treatments, and has been associated particularly with poorer outcomes in patients with lung, stomach, colon and pancreatic cancer. Dr Guillaume Lessen (pictured) who co-led the study, together with Prof. Keith Watson and Prof. David Huang from the ACRF Chemical Biology Division at WEHI and colleagues Dr Peter Czabotar and Prof. Peter Colman, said: “We were very excited to see the team’s work culminate in a compound that specifically inhibits the protein.” Continue reading “Discovery brings hope for new tailor-made anti-cancer agents”
Vaccine decreases pre-cancerous symptoms in Aussie women by 93% Posted on April 23, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers have reported an incredible 93% drop in genital wart diagnoses (symptoms of the human papillomavirus) in young women who have received the HPV, or cervical cancer, vaccine. The vaccine, co-created by Professor Ian Frazer AC (whose research was supported by an early ACRF seed-funding grant), became available for Australian girls in 2007. The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of NSW and the University of Melbourne together with both the Sydney and Melbourne Centres of Sexual Health, looked at the medical data of 85,770 patients during pre-vaccination period (2004-2007) compared to the vaccination period (2007-2011). Continue reading “Vaccine decreases pre-cancerous symptoms in Aussie women by 93%”
Triple-Negative Breast cancer stopped in its tracks with new treatment trial Posted on April 19, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research have run early studies of a new combination of treatments for breast cancer, with 100% success rate. The treatment targets late-stage triple negative breast cancers, for which the average survival rate is only 12 months. This type of cancer is most common in young women and accounts for approximately 20% of breast cancer cases in Australia. Unlike other cancer cells, triple negative breast cancers don’t have any of the three usual surface receptors, which would normally be the target of treatment. But this latest treatment trial shows that targeting radiation specifically to an overload of proteins (known as EGFR) together with a dramatically reduced dose of chemotherapy is effective in stopping both the cancer growth, and its recurrence. Continue reading “Triple-Negative Breast cancer stopped in its tracks with new treatment trial”
Research news: autumn 2013 edition Posted on March 15, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In the Autumn 2013 edition of the Research Review: The ACRF funds Australia’s first laser scanner cytometer, to be housed at St Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne. Aggressive brain tumours to be newly targeted with leukaemia therapy. Researchers look at ways to empower our immune systems to fight cancer from within. New possibilities in blood testing will pave the way towards better treatment plans.
Fitting out St Vincent’s cutting-edge ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre Posted on March 12, 2013February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australia’s first laser scanner cytometer, to be housed at St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, is set to cut years off drug development and cancer treatment trials. The $700,000 machine was purchased as part of the fit-out of the Institute’s ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre, a facility made possible thanks to a $2 million ACRF grant, awarded at the end of 2011. Stem cell researcher Associate Prof Louise Purton (pictured) has said the scanner will allow researchers to study “anything we want to know about a cell – this should be able to answer it.” “This is the way the cancer field is moving forward into finding a cure, by understanding why that cancer is forming and designing drugs that specifically target those cancer cells, as opposed to the other cells around it.” The scanner not only allows researchers to better profile, test and monitor cancer cells – it also will reduce the impact on animals at trial-level. Continue reading “Fitting out St Vincent’s cutting-edge ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre”
Mapping pancreatic cancer genes reveals hidden secrets for treatment Posted on October 31, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Pancreatic cancer has long been considered a mysterious, deadly disease. It has the highest mortality rate of all the major cancers, and it is one of the few cancer types for which survival has not substantially improved over the last 40 years. But two Australian researchers can now tell us why. They know how to fix it, and ACRF funding will play a pivotal role in the realisation of their treatment plan. Professors Sean Grimmond from Brisbane’s Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB), and Andrew Biankin from the newly opened Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney (formerly of the Garvan Institute) led an international team of researchers towards this ground-breaking discovery. They sequenced the genes of 100 pancreatic tumour cells and, in order to determine the genetic changes which lead to the cancer, they compared their results to normal tissue. Continue reading “Mapping pancreatic cancer genes reveals hidden secrets for treatment”
This week: site visits to finalise up to $10 million in cancer research funding! Posted on October 16, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The ACRF’s scientific advisory committee is on the road this week to assess five world-class cancer research initiatives for potential ACRF funding. Three of the shortlisted research teams are based in Brisbane, with one in each of Sydney and Melbourne. You can click here to read about each proposed cancer research project. This week, these research teams will host our scientific experts for site visits and final interviews. These in-depth assessments will ultimately determine the final funding recipients. The scientific advisory committee is an independent board of 13 esteemed cancer scientists in Australia – it is chaired by Professor Ian Frazer AC, co-creator of the cervical cancer vaccine. The role of the Committee is to identify the most innovative cancer research initiatives in the country and recommend them for ACRF funding. Continue reading “This week: site visits to finalise up to $10 million in cancer research funding!”
World-class Genetics Facility Now Open Posted on October 8, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Today her excellency Prof. Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of NSW will officially open a world-class ACRF-funded facility at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Darlinghurst, NSW. In line with the ACRF’s mission to fund only the best research initiatives in Australia, the ACRF Molecular Genetics Facility houses next-generation sequencing technology that has the power to carry out internationally competitive research in cancer genetics. The facility was developed through a $5 million ACRF grant made in honour of the late Lady (Sonia) McMahon, life member and founding trustee of the ACRF. A plaque in Lady McMahon’s honour will be unveiled today at the official opening of the centre. “Without doubt, and over a long period of time, the Garvan’s researchers, led by Professor Rob Sutherland, have been up there with the best in the world and we know this new facility will further strengthen their work,” said ACRF Chairman Tom Dery. Continue reading “World-class Genetics Facility Now Open”
Research news: spring 2012 edition Posted on September 14, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In the Spring edition of the Research Review: Researchers have found a target for treating up to 50% of childhood cancer cases. An ambitious Melanoma Genome Project has launched, with the aim of identifying all common mutations within melanoma cancers. The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard has officially opened the world-class Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney.
ACRF and the Kinghorn Cancer Centre opening Posted on August 28, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit The ACRF is very excited to attend the opening of the world-class Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Darlinghurst, Sydney today. The comprehensive cancer facility is a joint project of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and St. Vincent’s Hospital, and it is modeled on revolutionary medical centres overseas which bring patients, clinicians and research scientists together under the one roof. The Kinghorn Cancer Centre will play a major role in the future of Australian cancer care. It’s multidisciplinary approach covers the entire cancer journey, working to reduce the impact of cancer in the community through research, while providing holistic patient care from diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and quality of life. The ACRF is proud to support this fantastic facility, having provided a significant $5 million towards its development. Continue reading “ACRF and the Kinghorn Cancer Centre opening”
New childhood cancer research could help prevent 50% of cases Posted on August 22, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A new discovery could lead to preventative treatments for embryonal cancer cells which are responsible for more than half of all childhood cancers. Typically, only 20% of the embryonal cells created in the womb survive after birth to form nerve tissue in a baby’s body. The rest die off before the child is born. However, sometimes excess cells survive and develop into cancers. Under the leadership of Professor Glenn Marshall, Head of Translational Research and Molecular Carcinogenesis at the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA), researchers have investigated this occurrence, focusing on the most common solid tumour cancer in early childhood – neuroblastoma. Continue reading “New childhood cancer research could help prevent 50% of cases”
ACRF opens two new cancer research facilities in Melbourne Posted on August 7, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Two new ACRF-funded cancer research facilities at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have today been officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Councillor Robert Doyle. Thanks to a $2 million ACRF grant, these new divisions will expand the institute’s current cancer research into the causes and treatments for some of the most prevalent cancers in Australia. In particular the ACRF Stem Cells and Cancer Division will study the biology of epithelial cancers – which account for 80% of human cancers – including breast, lung and ovarian cancers. Continue reading “ACRF opens two new cancer research facilities in Melbourne”
World-first HPV vaccination plan will protect young Australian men from cancer Posted on July 13, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Young Australian males will receive the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) free of charge in a world-first public health measure that will help prevent a range of cancers. Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced the plan yesterday at the Diamantina Institute in Queensland, where the vaccine was developed by Professor Ian Frazer and his team. The HPV vaccine has already contributed to a decrease in pre-cancerous cervical lesions in young women. When administered to males, it will help prevent cancers of the genital tract, some types of head and neck cancers, and it will also enhance the vaccine’s effectiveness in women. Boys aged 12 – 13 will receive the vaccine through school-based programs under the National Immunisation Program, with Year 9 boys also included in a two-year catch-up plan. Continue reading “World-first HPV vaccination plan will protect young Australian men from cancer”
Research news: winter 2012 edition Posted on June 15, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In the Winter edition of the Research Review: ‘Breast cancer’ has been reclassified into approximately ten separate diseases after a landmark UK study. A US trial for a new HER-2 positive breast cancer treatment, or medical ‘smart-bomb’, is shown to extend life expectancy with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. Brain tumours in nine out of ten patients with metastisised melanoma have shrunk in a clinical trial run by Westmead Millennium Institute for Cancer Research.
Targeted breast cancer treatment prolongs life and reduces side effects! Posted on June 5, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit A new treatment is being heralded as a ‘smart-bomb’ for breast cancer following very promising studies in a Phase III clinical trial based in the US. Researchers at the Duke Cancer Institutes administered a new drug ‘T-DM1’ to almost 1000 women with the specific breast cancer type ‘HER-2 positive’, and found it prevented patients’ advanced tumours from progressing while delivering fewer side effects compared to conventional treatments. “As a clinician who takes care of breast cancer patients, it’s important to have a treatment that is both effective and well tolerated,” said director of the Breast Cancer Clinical Program at the Duke Cancer Institute, Kimberley Blackwell. “This is a drug that brings us another step closer to treating cancer without the side effects of chemotherapy.” HER-2 breast cancer is distinguished by high levels of a protein known as ‘human epidermal growth factor’ which promotes cancer cell growth. It accounts for about 20% of invasive breast cancers. Continue reading “Targeted breast cancer treatment prolongs life and reduces side effects!”
Research news: Autumn 2012 edition Posted on March 14, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit In the Autumn edition of the Research Review: Researchers are making leaps and bounds in leukaemia research with early clinical trials at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne testing the safest dose of a new cancer therapy. New QLD centre to target head and neck cancers. Kinomics a new area of drug testing for researchers – specialist facility to open at the Children’s Medical Research Institute, Westmead.
