Research Institute: University of Tasmania
Amount granted: $0.05 million
Year granted: 1998
ACRF provided the grant to the University of Tasmania’s Medical School to purchase an advanced confocal laser microscope system. The Confocal Laser Microscope will be used to study denditric cells which is an important element of the immunology system regulating how the body responds to cancer.
Investigation of cellular events associated with cancer and the body’s defence system. Both ultraviolet light (UVB) and chemical carcinogens alter the skin giving rise not only to the cancerous process but an alteration in the local body defence system. This has implications for the emergence of cancer cells and their ultimate spread. A key finding in this area is that carcinogens alter the local immune system so that rather than developing positive immune responses against cancer cells, immune mechanisms occur which allow cancerous cells to grow.
Studies of defence cells and how they handle foreign material in a different way to mature normal adult dendritic cells. While these observations provide insights into the basic alterations in skin cancer, they also give potential focal points of manipulation to redirect the immune response in skin cancer.
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.
