Towards Better Treatments For Acral Melanoma Through Functional Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,456,823.00
Summary
Acral melanoma is an uncommon melanoma subtype with bad prognosis that has been poorly characterised at the molecular level. The project will conduct comprehensive analysis of acral melanoma at the DNA, RNA and protein levels. Through subsequent functional follow-up studies of key drivers of this cancer type we will identify novel drug targets to treat this disease.
Identification Of The Molecular Hallmarks Of Naevi Progressing To Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
Melanomas are amongst the most commonly occurring cancers in Australia with >136,000 people living with a previous melanoma diagnosis. One of the highest risk factors for developing melanoma is having a high number of moles (or naevi). It is therefore important to fully understand how and why naevi develop into melanoma. It is hoped that early detection markers will be identified which will help identify early melanomas and as such improve patient outcome.
Overcoming Resistance Of Human Metastatic Melanoma To Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,758.00
Summary
Melanoma is a major Australian health problem, but there is no curative treatment once the disease spreads beyond the skin. I have been working on “overcoming resistance of melanoma to treatment” continuously for 10 years. My past research has provided a number of insights into the resistance of melanoma to treatment. I wish to extend my work to find new treatment approaches against the disease. If successful, this work will greatly benefit melanoma patients and Australian people.
Characterisation Of The Role Of Mesenchymal Phenotypes And EGFR In Treatment-resistant Melanoma.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$113,237.00
Summary
Phenotypic change has been identified in multiple settings relating to melanoma progression and metastasis. We have identified a degree of overlap between features of phenotypic plasticity, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and the emergence of treatment resistance. This project will further examine mechanisms underlying these changes, focusing on the role of the epidermal growth factor.
Functional Characterisation Of A New Surface Adhesion Molecule On Human Vascular Progenitor Cells To Combat Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$593,794.00
Summary
Collectively, diseases of the blood vascular system contribute immensely to the burden of health care in Australia. Notably, abnormal blood vessel formation is a major cause or contributor to many diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ischemia injury and diabetes. This project aims to understand the underlying mechanisms associated with aberrant angiogenesis such that it may aid in the identification of novel targets for the development of therapeutics.