Research Institute: Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Amount granted: $1.1 million
Year granted: 2003
Establishment of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Molecular Genetics of Cancer. The ACRF Grant allowed the purchase of major equipment including a laser microdissection system and computer, mutation detection technology, DNA analysis equipment and mutation detection technology.
Professor Rob Sutherland, Director of the cancer research program, has indicated that the funding from ACRF will allow the institute to develop a state-of-the-art, world-class facility to genotype cancer, identifying patients with a predisposition to a variety of cancers including prostate, colorectal, breast and ovarian. The institute expects to see the development of new gene markers of cancer risk, cancer diagnosis, disease progression and therapeutic responsiveness.
What your donations have achieved
Cervical cancer vaccine
We gave initial seed funding to Professor Ian Frazer’s research into the cervical cancer (HPV). Over 150 million doses of vaccine have been delivered worldwide to date.
The pill that melts away cancer
Our long term support of cancer research at WEHI has led to a treatment that melts away certain advanced forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. It has been approved for clinical use in the US, European Union and Australia and is being trialed for other types of cancer.
Personalised cancer diagnosis
In 2015, we awarded $10 million seed funding to an ambitious cancer proteome project that aims to provide each cancer patient a personalised treatment plan within 36 hours. This will improve treatment outcomes and help avoid unnecessary treatments.
Zero childhood cancer
We are one of the founding partners of the initiative that will tackle the most serious cases of infant, childhood and adolescent cancer in Australia. It is a key step towards the program vision of one day helping to cure 100% of children with cancer.