WEHI launches ACRF-funded cancer research project Posted on March 17, 2022March 17, 2022 by Isabelle Dunster Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) Program for Resolving Cancer Complexity and Therapeutic Resistance has officially launched.The world-class cancer research program addresses one of the main challenges of precision medicine – how to manage the complexity of cancer and each patients’ response to them and determine why some stop responding to cancer therapies.The ambitious project has been made possible due to a $3.5 million grant awarded to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) by ACRF in 2019.The ACRF Program for Resolving Cancer Complexity and Therapeutic Resistance has enabled WEHI to purchase cutting-edge technological infrastructure that is essential for studying individual cancers at a single-cell level.This new technology allows researchers to focus on the discovery of triggers that drive cancer development, how genetic diversity in cancers affects treatment efficacy, and develop better ways of personalising cancer therapies to conquer the biggest challenges in cancer today – ultimately predicting and improving patients’ treatment response and overcoming drug resistance.The equipment included a $2.2 million MIBIscope which is the fastest, highest resolution mass spectrometry-based imager ever made. It is the only machine that is capable of the analysis scale, sensitivity and large sample size proposed in this program.Professor Andrew Roberts AM, Laboratory Head and Joint Leader, Cancer Research and Treatments Theme at WEHI, said the complexity and diversity of cancers at a single-cell level, and the cells that make up the tumour microenvironment, is poorly understood, and in many cases, it is difficult to predict how a patient will respond to therapy.“This important investment from ACRF will enable us to gain a deeper understanding of how cancers develop at a single cell level, leading to breakthroughs in how we personalise cancer therapy that will have a real impact for patients in the future, improving treatment response and overcoming treatment resistance,” said Professor Roberts.ACRF’s CEO, Kerry Strydom said, Australian Cancer Research Foundation backs brilliant cancer research and cutting-edge technology that drives innovation that ultimately – helps to save millions of lives“Australia is constantly punching above its weight in the field of cancer research and the ACRF Program for Resolving Cancer Complexity and Therapeutic Resistance is proof of that. We hope to see this project produce findings that will support and improve the outcome of each individual diagnosed with this devasting disease.” Learn more about the project by watching the event video below.
Genetic sequencing in Australia could revolutionise cancer diagnostics Posted on June 12, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit It is being called ‘the frontier of medical science”’. The potential to pre-empt cancer diagnosis with genetic testing has taken a major step forward following the first Australian NATA* accreditation for ‘whole exome sequencing’. SA Pathology’s Genetics and Molecular Pathology laboratory, in collaboration with the Centre for Cancer Biology’s ACRF genomic research facility, have received this important stamp of approval to test the complete set of human genes in a single assay, using cutting-edge Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Technology. Professor Hamish Scott, Director of the ACRF Cancer Genome Facility at SA Pathology’s Centre for Cancer Biology explains: “In human DNA there are six billion data points, 2% of them are our genes, which can be sequenced in an ‘exome’. We’re searching through over a hundred million bases to try and find an anomaly or a mutation that may be causing disease.” This landmark accreditation rewards many years of research dedication and collaboration between research and funding bodies, including the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Dr Karin Kassahn, Head of Technology Advancement says, “With this new approach, genetic tests will take months, not years, and see an end to some of the uncertainty – there will be definitive results for more patients.” “These technologies weren’t available a decade ago, but now genomics is set to play a major role in medical treatment. If we get this right, genetic testing will become an integral part of health care, available to everyone in need.” Professor Scott has said that unfortunately many rare genetic conditions still don’t have an effective treatment or cure. “But if we can pick these things up, we may be able to alleviate symptoms with new therapies and help patients and families manage their disorders,” he said. “This is the future of healthcare, what’s known as ‘personalised’ or ‘precision’ medicine.” The ACRF is proud to have supported the world-class research teams at SA Pathology, Centre for Cancer Biology. We thank our donors and fundraisers for their dedication to cancer research, without which, this important progress would not have been possible. This information was originally published by SA Pathology and can be viewed here. *NATA is the National Association of Testing Authorities in Australia. It ensures facilities, testing and measurement methods comply with relevant international and Australian standards.
World-first research centre signifies a new era for cancer research Posted on May 22, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit The Australian Cancer Research Foundation Telomere Analysis Centre officially opened its doors this week to become the world’s first facility to specialise in Telomere research. Recent findings argued a strong case for the development of this cutting-edge facility, indicating Telomeres could hold the answers to significant advancements in the treatment of some of the most aggressive types of cancer. Telomeres are structures that cap the ends of our chromosomes. They serve a critical role in the cell renewal process and under normal conditions, gradually shorten as we age. But studies at the Children’s Medical Research Institute have shown that cancer cells develop ways to disrupt this natural process. They re-program cells to prevent their telomeres from shortening, causing the DNA to “short-circuit” and cells to multiply out of control. Furthermore, researchers have found ‘lock’ mechanisms on normal cancer cells which prevent this process. The ‘lock’ on cancer cells, however, is damaged, providing researchers with a new target for treatment. CMRI Director, Professor Roger Reddel, who was involved in the research, said “We think that losing this lock makes cancer cells vulnerable to treatments that normal cells are protected against. So we may have found an Achilles heel for certain types of aggressive cancer.” “The ACRF’s Medical Research Advisory Committee assessed this research initiative as both nationally ground-breaking and internationally competitive. The ACRF and our supporters are very proud to fund this life-saving work at CMRI,” said ACRF Chief Executive, Professor Ian Brown. The new ATAC facility was funded with a $2 million ACRF grant and is outfitted with some of the most advanced technology and cutting-edge equipment that exist in this field. These microscopes and computer analysis stations provide speed and accuracy on unparalleled levels, helping to propel telomere-related cancer research to new heights and accelerate the race toward new treatments, and ultimately, cures for cancer.
New melanoma treatment triggers 20-fold improvement Posted on April 17, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit Studies conducted by cancer scientists at The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute (UQDI) have found a new experimental drug called Anisina significantly increases the effectiveness of existing therapies used to treat melanoma. Around 12,500 Australians are diagnosed each year with malignant melanoma and it is responsible for over 1,500 deaths. It is a notoriously difficult cancer to treat, due to the number of mutations that make the cancerous cells difficult to target. Errors in the ‘BRAF’ gene have been identified as among the most prominent mutations, and two drugs that target ‘BRAF’ (vemurafenib and dabrafenib) have been developed and approved for use in recent years. However no targeted therapy exists for the 50% of melanoma patients whose tumors do not have this most prominent mutation. As a result, developing a new drug that is effective across all mutations has become a focus in current cancer research. Cancer scientists have found that when Anisina is partnered with existing drugs it helps destroy two key parts of the cancer cell’s skeleton, resulting in a 20-fold increase in the anti-cancer effect of the other drugs. This benefits all melanoma patients fighting cancer as the new drug targets melanoma cells regardless of their mutational status. Nikolas Haass MD PhD conducted the research studies along with Brian Gabrielli PhD. Dr. Haass said, “These findings from the preliminary screen with Anisina are exciting. Finding a compound that is equally effective against a wide panel of melanoma cell types irrespective of the genetic background has been a long-held goal.” Justine Stehn PhD, Novogen Anti-Tropomyosin Program Director, said, ” The idea that we now have a means of making melanoma cells respond to potent anticancer drugs is an exciting development for patients with melanoma.” Plans are now underway to bring Anisine into the clinic by early 2016. The ACRF is proud to have provided $6.2 million to support the work of UQDI’s world-class researchers in recent years. This information was originally published by Novogen website and can be found here.
