Using Genetically Manipulated Mice To Study The Pathophysiologic Consequences Of Castration-induced Prostatic Cell Death
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,250.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Australian men. The disease is incurable once it spreads beyond the confines of the prostate gland. Hormonal treatments can keep the cancer at bay for a number of years until they are no longer effective. Hormonal treatments cause shrinkage of prostate cancer because they interfere the function of the male hormone, testosterone, which encourages growth of prostate cancer. Hence, there is a need for other treatments that may improv ....Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Australian men. The disease is incurable once it spreads beyond the confines of the prostate gland. Hormonal treatments can keep the cancer at bay for a number of years until they are no longer effective. Hormonal treatments cause shrinkage of prostate cancer because they interfere the function of the male hormone, testosterone, which encourages growth of prostate cancer. Hence, there is a need for other treatments that may improve the quality of life and survival of prostate cancer patients. It appears that a cancer patient can make immune cells known as T cells, which can recognise his own tumour but which are prevented from destroying the tumour. Using a mouse model of prostate cancer, we wish to understand how prostate tumours act to prevent immune destruction in circumstances that are common to the treatment of human prostate cancer. For example, hormonal treatments produce dead prostate cancer cells that will be cleared by the body's professional scavenger cells in a way that suppresses an active immune response against the tumour. To learn how the removal of dead cells suppresses the immune response, we propose to perturb the normal clearance of dead prostate cells by at least two means. First, we will study mice that have an inherited deficiency in the removal of dead cells. Second, these mice will be given a growth factor to produce an excess of immune stimulating cells known as dendritic cells in the prostate gland. The dendritic cell is the main type of cell that initiates immune responses. We will investigate whether the greater number of dendritic cells, which were put into the prostate gland by the growth factor, can remove the dead prostate cells in a way that excites rather than suppresses the anti-tumour immune response. Positive results obtained from these studies may lead to the design of new treatments for advanced prostate cancer.Read moreRead less
Sunscreen Immune Protection Factor Prediction Of Inhibition Of Anti-tumour Immunity And Carcinogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$186,372.00
Summary
Despite sunscreens having been used in Australia for more than 25 years the incidence of skin cancer continues to increase. This is partly due to the long lag time in developing a skin cancer, so that the current incidence reflects sun exposure patterns of many years ago. However this is also partly due to sunscreens not being as effective at preventing skin cancer as they are at preventing sunburn. The ultraviolet wavelengths found in sunlight are the prime cause of skin cancer. Australians are ....Despite sunscreens having been used in Australia for more than 25 years the incidence of skin cancer continues to increase. This is partly due to the long lag time in developing a skin cancer, so that the current incidence reflects sun exposure patterns of many years ago. However this is also partly due to sunscreens not being as effective at preventing skin cancer as they are at preventing sunburn. The ultraviolet wavelengths found in sunlight are the prime cause of skin cancer. Australians are exposed to high levels of sunlight, and consequently 66% of Australians develop skin cancer throughout their lifetime. For this reason, Australia has been dubbed the Skin Cancer Capital of the World. To reduce the incidence of skin cancer in Australia, it is recommended that individuals use sunscreens. The means of assessing the effectiveness of sunscreens is based on an SPF system, which measures the ability of sunscreens to prevent sunburn (erythema). However sunburn is induced by particular ultraviolet wavelengths, and may not be as important for skin cancer assessment as other damaging effects of sunlight, such as immunosuppression and genetic mutations. Sunscreens should be tested for protection from immunosuppression as well as sunburn, as this would aid the development of better sunscreens. We have developed the technology to measure protection of the immune system, and intend to investigate the usefulness of this new sunscreen test.Read moreRead less