Breakthroughs
Since our inception over three decades ago, our researchers have contributed to life-changing scientific breakthroughs across cancer, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases.
As a world-leading independent medical research institute Centenary’s vision is to improve human health through excellence in medical research.
Visit our Media hub for the latest Centenary discoveries and scientific advances.
2025
- Found that switching off a specific protein in liver cells may help prevent the early development of liver cancer.
- Developed a powerful new tool to evolve proteins directly within mammalian cells, offering a more effective way to design medical treatments tailored to the human body.
- Uncovered a reason why some people with haemophilia A develop resistance to their critical treatment, paving the way for the development of more effective therapies.
2024
- Gained new insights into delta inulin as a crucial vaccine component, to advance the next generation of vaccines.
- Led development of a new genetic risk prediction tool to identify heavy drinkers most at risk of developing alcohol-associated cirrhosis.
- Identified specific blood fats that can predict how effectively individuals with pre-diabetes will improve their blood sugar levels through diet and weight loss.
- Discovered how different types of T cells work together to boost the immune response in the liver, offering valuable insights into the liver’s defence mechanisms against infections.
- Found that the gut microbiome could play a pivotal role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), paving the way for new therapeutic treatments.
2023
- Discovered a connection between the health of blood vessels and the development of Alzheimer’s disease, offering a promising new path for therapeutic approaches.
- Gained new understanding of how white blood cells move in the body, that could pave the way for new treatments for chronic inflammation-related diseases.
- Identified a new therapeutic approach for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – the targeting and inhibition of a protein called RIPK1.
- Unveiled crucial insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of breast cancer, that could lead to more effective treatments.
- Found a new way to treat hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer.
2022
- Found that increased genetic testing is required to help identify concealed cardiomyopathy.
- Developed a new nasal vaccination strategy that induces potent lung immunity and protection against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
- Discovered that genetic testing can diagnose cardiomyopathy in children and help detect who will have heart failure and require a transplant.
- Identified a new drug target – an enzyme known as mast cell chymase-1 – for the potential treatment and prevention of COPD.
- Found why people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19.
2021
- Discovered that inhibiting necroptosis, a form of cell death, could be a novel therapeutic approach for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Found that the DPP4 gene family should be further studied to support potential new therapeutic approaches to fighting liver tumours.
- Identified that a new dual drug approach could offer up a highly effective treatment strategy for melanoma.
- Found that a compound extracted from a commonly cultivated orchid could be a potential new treatment option for prostate cancer.
- Discovered that a compound present in current beta blocker treatments could be repurposed to increase efficiency and safety of infantile hemangioma therapies.
2020
- Discovered for the first time a link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an often fatal lung condition, and the gut microbiome.
- Revealed that humans share important genetic mechanisms with a prehistoric sea sponge which is a fundamental discovery in evolution and advances understanding of genetic diseases.
- Found human proteins existing in different and changing states with implications for the development of drugs in the fight against disease.
- Discovered that genetic testing can reveal previously hidden heart defects in nearly a quarter of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors who seem to have a normal heart.
- Demonstrated that the enzyme SphK2 is a key player in the regulation of insulin which could lead to a new treatment approach for diabetes.
- Discovered that tumour-resident T cells are a critical determinant in survival rates of patients suffering from throat cancer.
2019
- Found that an Australian sea sponge could hold the key to successfully combatting the deadly disease tuberculosis.
- Uncovered the impact of new technology on the over-diagnosis of a little known inherited heart disease.
- Discovered a key reason why the influenza virus is so effective at establishing infection and causing damage in the lungs.
- Developed and tested a new type of vaccine targeting tuberculosis, the world’s top infectious disease killer.
- Discovered that aspirin could be used to treat patients with severe tuberculosis infection.
2018
- Discovered a new virus strain, which could change the way chronic and childhood kidney diseases are approached and treated.
- Improved the diagnosis rate of a potentially deadly heart condition by up to 20 per cent.
- Determined how to develop safer blood-clotting drugs.
- Developed a novel drug which could potentially be used to treat patients with diabetic retinopathy; the main cause of blindness from diabetes.
- Discovered a cure for a sub-set of one of the most common genetic blood diseases in the world – Beta-thalassemia.
- Developed a novel drug which is being touted as a major step forward in the battle against obesity.
- Created a more realistic model of primary liver cancer.
2017
- Developed a new drug that could be effective in some of the hardest to treat cancers such as pancreatic and liver cancer.
- Discovered that gut bacteria could hold the key to treating and preventing potentially deadly strokes.
- Found a new cell in the liver, which will inform future investigations into liver disease and liver cancer.
- Identified antibacterial compounds in soil that could lead to new treatments for tuberculosis.
- Discovered a common pattern in the process of gene regulation that could be the key to treating and finding cures for cancers and other diseases.
- Revealed that a naturally occurring chemical process to DNA can change the way information in genes are read to help treat cancer.
2016
- Revealed new genetic insights on causes of sudden cardiac death in the young.
- Identified the first possible link between the heart and the brain in epilepsy patients.
- Identified drug targets for cerebral cavernous malformations.
- Revealed new information about the way the cornea responds to damage to assist in treating blindness.
2015
- Discovered that an enzyme could be a potential therapeutic target for limiting tumour growth and its spread into the liver.
- Discovered new links between nutrition and prostate cancer.
2013
- Discovered a new immune cell type that causes skin diseases and skin allergies.
2012
- Discovered new drug candidates for prostate and breast cancer.
2011
- Developed an integrated genetic and clinical approach for early diagnosis and treatment solutions to prevent sudden cardiac death.
- Discovered a new mechanism by which the liver kills immune cells responsible for graft rejection and viral clearance.
2009
- Discovered micro RNA can be used to treat diseases associated with vascular leak eg stroke and myocardinal infarction.
2005
- Discovered anti TNF therapy increases the risk of reactivation of Tuberculosis.
- Improved the identification of human regulatory T Cells, a discovery used widely in clinical research settings.
1989
- Discovered critical insights into the role of the immune system in health and disease.
