Discovering Answers

Cancer survival rates have improved dramatically but there are many questions to be answered. By discovering the answers to critical questions about cancer, our researchers will develop new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Why does cancer occur in the first place? How does it grow and multiply?

Surprisingly, we all have cells in our body that can mutate and cause cancer. In most of us, the cancer cells are safely shut down by regulating genes in our body’s immune system (or anti-cancer surveillance system).

However, hereditary factors or environmental factors such as smoking, sun, diet and infections can trigger changes to these important genes. These changes usually alter genes that either promote cancer cell growth and reproduction (oncogenes) or inhibit cancer cell division and survival (tumour suppressor genes).

Gene changes or errors can set off a dangerous ripple effect where mutations get progressively worse. Eventually cancer cells override the surveillance system and the cancer invades the body.

Our researchers seek to identify where and how such errors occur. This is the critical first step in working out how to contain or destroy cancer cells.

Recent findings and current projects on why cancer occurs include:

Discovery of a key growth enzyme: we were the first to discover the critical role enzyme SphK1 plays in promoting breast cancer cell growth and reproduction. This has also been linked to various cancers including breast, lung, liver and prostate cancer – Dr Pu Xia (Signal Transduction lab)
Exploration of a key breast cancer gene: understanding the role of the gene SENEX plays in breast development and breast cancer progression – Prof Jenny Gamble and Dr Matthew Grimshaw (Vascular Biology lab)
Finding a DNA repair gene: we discovered a DNA repair gene that can significantly reduce damage in cells to slow the progression of cancer – Dr Chris Jolly (DNA Repair lab)
Melanoma under the microscope: we use the latest state-of-the-art microscopes and imaging technology to improve our understanding of melanoma cell interactions with other cells and its environment – Dr Nikolas Haass (Experimental Melanoma Therapies lab)
Diet and cancer: examining the effect of diet (particularly red meats and dairy) on the development and progression of cancer – Dr Jeff Holst (Origins of Cancer lab)
Finding a critical link in prostate cancer: discovering a critical link between testosterone signals and an amino acid transporter. This finding explains why this transporter is increased in prostate cancer – Dr Jeff Holst (Origins of Cancer lab)

How can our immune system defend us against cancer?

We all produce thousands of cancer cells in our bodies every minute of every day but a healthy immune system destroys 10,000 of these cancer cells to keep cancer at bay. If our immune system isn’t functioning properly, cancer can take hold.

Our researchers are interested in how the immune system can prevent or slow down cancer.

Recent findings and current projects include:

Using B-cells to fix damaged genes: discovering when and how B-cells in the immune system repair damaged genes to protect us against cancer – Dr Chris Jolly (DNA Repair lab)
New cells to improve cancer vaccines: we have recently discovered a new group of immune-boosting cells (called gamma delta T cells) in the skin that could improve vaccines for cancer and other infections – Prof Wolfgang Weninger (Immune Imaging)
T-cells to toughen up immunity: our researchers are looking at the immune’s response against cancer by building up the T-cells anti-tumour response – Prof Barbara Fazekas de St Groth (T-cell Biology)

Watch a 5 minute video about how the immune system works.

Why can some cancer cells resist and overcome treatments?

Drug resistance is one of the major obstacles to treating cancer. Cancer cells have the ability to adapt to survive anti-cancer treatments. Drug resistance occurs when someone does not respond well to widely-used treatments or when drugs that initially worked stop being effective.

Our researchers are working to understand why drugs are not working or stop working and how to identify and overcome drug resistance

Recent findings and current projects include:

Marker to diagnose response: we are working on a way to use an enzyme known as SphK1 as a marker to identify patients who have cancer cells that are most likely to be drug resistant to current treatments – Dr Pu Xia (Signal Transduction lab)
Inhibitor for drug-resistant breast cancer: we are investigating how to use SphK-inhibitors to overcome drug-resistance in breast cancer cells – Dr Pu Xia (Signal Transduction lab)
New drug to kill resistant ovarian cancer: we have uncovered a drug that kills ovarian cancer cells in a unique, irreversible process to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer – Dr Pu Xia (Signal Transduction lab)

How can we improve current treatments?

Survival rates for cancer have improved significantly but cancer is still a leading cause of death worldwide. Many treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and invasive surgery also have gruelling side-effects,. While the treatments work for some, they do not work for everyone. Unfortunately treatments for people with advanced stage cancers are often ineffective.

Our researchers are exploring innovations in current treatments to create more effective options with greater success and less negative impact on patients.

Recent findings and current projects include:

New way to grow stem cells: our researchers recently discovered a unique way to grow blood-forming stem cells. This finding will improve stem cell transplants used to treat blood cancers and also repair damage caused by chemotherapy – Prof John Rasko (Gene and Stem Cell Therapy lab)
Tracking melanoma’s response: real-time imaging of melanoma cells allows our researchers to accurately track cell behaviour and response to treatments – Dr Nikolas Haass (Experimental Melanoma Therapies lab)

What new treatments can we develop to shut down or destroy cancer cells?

New treatments offer hope for a better, longer life for many people with cancer. New treatments are based on basic science which discovers the targets that need to be hit to stop cancer in its tracks.

The research our scientists work on today could lead to tomorrow’s breakthrough in cancer.

Recent findings and current projects include:

New drug for advanced melanoma – significant contribution through international collaboration to develop an exciting next-generation therapy known as BRAF-inhibitor PLX4032. We also looking at other new therapies to treat advanced melanoma – Dr Nikolas Haass (Experimental Melanoma Therapies lab)
New blood vessel inhibitor: expanding on the discovery of an important blood vessel inhibitor to develop a new anti-cancer therapy for breast cancer and melanoma – Prof Jenny Gamble (Vascular Biology lab)
New nutrient-inhibiting treatment: building on our extensive research into the role of amino acids in the uncontrolled growth of prostate cancer, we are working on mapping out the structure of the ‘pumps’ that deliver these critical nutrients to the prostate, breast and melanoma cancer cells. This will create a new type of cancer therapy known as nutrient uptake inhibitors to starve tumours – Dr Jeff Holst (Origins of Cancer lab) and Dr Mika Jormakka (Structural Biology lab)
Fix it gene: finding a way to use a recently discovered DNA repair gene in cancer cells to slow cancer progression in patients – Dr Chris Jolly (DNA Repair lab).
New signal-blocking drug target: Identifying a new anticancer target to block signals created by the cancer cells using SphK1 to promote cell growth and escape death from anti-cancer drugs – Dr Pu Xia (Signal Transduction lab)