ACRF International Centre for the Proteome of Human Cancer

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation awarded one of the largest private grants for medical research equipment in Australian history – $10 million – for six cutting-edge machines to establish The ACRF International Centre for the Proteome of Cancer (ProCanTM) at Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Westmead. The Centre was officially opened in September 2016.

Over the next five years, scientists at CMRI will analyse tens of thousands of examples of all types of cancer from all over the world to develop a library of information to advance scientific discovery and enhance clinical treatment worldwide.

ProCan will provide a major step forward for cancer diagnosis and treatment of Australians and the end result will be rapid and more accurate prediction of the best cancer treatments for each individual patient.

The Centre will be led by CMRI Professors Phil Robinson and Roger Reddel in partnership with technology experts, such as Professor Ruedi Aebersold. New technology called PCT-SWATH mass spectrometry will be used to rapidly and simultaneously measure the precise levels of many thousands of proteins in very small cancer biopsies. Working with leading cancer researchers throughout Australia and around the world, the Centre will analyse about 70,000 samples of all types of cancer, including leukaemia.

Project highlights to date

• Agreement signed with SCIEX in February 2016, ProCan designated as a “SCIEX Centre of Innovation in Precision Medicine”
• The project became part of the ‘Cancer Moonshot’ initiative led by the United States’ Government in July 2016
• Official opening of ProCan in September 2016
• Procan.cancerresearch website launched in September 2016