Development Of A Blood-based Screening Test For Colorectal Neoplasia; Biomarker Expression In Circulating Tumor Cells And Tumor-derived Microvesicles
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$513,938.00
Summary
A blood-based test for bowel cancer and the premalignant lesion (i.e. adenomas) has potential to improve several aspects of screening for bowel cancer – improved capacity to detect lesions in well people who do not suspect their presence, avoidance of faecal sampling and fewer false-positive results. There is no reliable simple screening test for adenomas. This study aims at developing a practical blood test based on a device that filters and enriches cells from blood that carry these markers
Massively Parallel Sequencing And PCR Optimised For DNA-based Diagnostics And Discovery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$201,664.00
Summary
The next generation of medical diagnostics and discovery in disease research will involve the marriage of PCR, a tool used to amplify large amounts of DNA from small starting quantities, and �next generation� sequencing, a way to sequence lots and lots of DNA on a single instrument run. This study aims to describe methods which allow scientists to screen hundreds of disease genes in hundreds of people simultaneously with high accuracy and high efficiency.
A Functional Assay To Classify Genetic Variants In Lynch Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,195.00
Summary
At least one person in every 1000 is affected by Lynch syndrome, in which faulty DNA repair machinery causes high rates of cancer. People with Lynch syndrome can have their risk of cancer cut substantially with regular screening. However, we often struggle to understand whether people with 'non-standard' DNA sequences in particular genes actually have Lynch syndrome. This project develops a simple test that will tell clinicians whether a given sequence change relates to Lynch syndrome or not.
Validation Of A Multiplexed Blood Based Screening Assay For The Diagnosis Of Colorectal Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$556,712.00
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in Australia with poor patient outcome due to late detection of the disease. We have developed a simple blood based test that can diagnose individuals with CRC at an early stage when the chance of cure is greater than 80%.
Bowel cancer, the second most diagnosed and cause of cancer death is preventable. Low risk people need no screening or just inexpensive fecal occult blood tests. Increased risk people need the more expensive and invasive colonoscopies. There is overuse of colonoscopy by those at low risk and underuse by those at high risk. Our Centre brings together scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians to develop a personalised risk tool and methods to implement the tool to increase appropriate screening.
PET Imaging Agents For The Differential Diagnosis Of Hypoxic Tumors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,429.00
Summary
Choosing the best type of treatment from the ever increasing arsenal of chemotherapeutic agents against cancer is of critical importance. Tumor hypoxia requires specialized treatment and patient selection. Current PET imaging agents cannot differentiate between severely and mildly hypoxic tumors. We have found a new agent that can detect mildly hypoxic tumors and the aim of this grant application is to further develop this radiotracer to improve image quality and reliability of the diagnosis.
Studies On The Pathogenesis And Early Diagnosis Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,082.00
Summary
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and worldwide is the third and fifth leading cause of cancer death in men and women respectively. Early diagnosis is vital to patient survival. Our research investigates new methods in the early diagnosis of HCC, including new protein markers of the cancer and non-invasive measurements of liver scarring. We also study the genetics of HCC and investigate new genes that could be targets for future therapies.