Using Chromosome Rearrangements As Tumour-specific Markers For Disease Monitoring In Lung Cancer Using Droplet Digital PCR
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,081,335.00
Summary
There are no useful markers apart from CT scans to determine the effectiveness of therapy in patients with lung cancer. We plan to assess highly sensitive methods that can examine the blood to determine whether DNA from the patient’s tumour is present. This will allow more responsive modulation of therapy to enable better management of the cancer.
Genetic Analysis Of Drug Resistance In Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$227,036.00
Summary
Treatment for childhood leukaemia fails in approximately 25% of children owing to resistance to the drugs being used. Our recent evidence suggests that only a few rare leukaemic cells are initially resistant at the commencement of treatment. This project aims to isolate these rare cells and to look for genetic changes in them which might account for their resistance. Hopefully an understanding of the genetic basis for drug resistance will lead to better means of overcoming it.
Optimising Outcomes In Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Through Rational Drug Selection Using Predictive Assay Results And Maximising Treatment Free Remissions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$193,596.00
Summary
Although outcomes in chronic myeloid leukaemia are generally excellent, a number of important questions remain. In this grant, we propose to i) personalise the selection of frontline treatment for newly diagnosed patients, using biomarkers which can predict treatment response; ii) improve the probability of cure in patients aiming to stop their treatment, and iii) use ultra-sensitive molecular tests for disease detection to predict risk of disease relapse.
Identification Of Clinically Significant Subtypes Of Head And Neck Cancer Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,122.00
Summary
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region (HNSCC) is amongst the top 10 most prevalent cancers. It is a life threatening cancer that is associated with a mortality rate of approximately 40%. Whilst most patients are treated with a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy a significant fraction of patients relapse and eventually succumb to the cancer. The molecular basis for relapse in these patients is still unknown. One possible explanation for treatment failure is the notio ....Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region (HNSCC) is amongst the top 10 most prevalent cancers. It is a life threatening cancer that is associated with a mortality rate of approximately 40%. Whilst most patients are treated with a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy a significant fraction of patients relapse and eventually succumb to the cancer. The molecular basis for relapse in these patients is still unknown. One possible explanation for treatment failure is the notion that the cancer contains biologically distinct subtypes of cancer cells. Some these cells may respond to therapy whilst a small fraction of cells may not. If this small fraction of resistant cells were able to divide and repopulate the tissue then this would provide an explanation for relapse in these patients. However, as yet no such data has been available to support this argument. Most recently, studies with another cancer called acute myelocytic leukaemia has shown that they do contain a small subtype of cancer cells that are resistant to therapy and can regenerate the disease in patients. These cells have been called tumour initiating cells (TIC). In this application we will use patient tumour samples to try to isolate TICs from HNSCC. We will first determine whether these TICs exist and whether they express markers of normal human stem cells. We will also test whether these TICs are more resistant to chemotherapeutics or radiation than the rest of the tumour cells. In addition we will enrich for these TICs and identify new protein markers that could be used to test patient samples before or after treatment. This would be of considerable assistance in making decisions about treatment choice or prognosis. Since TICs have not been reported in HNSCC previously their identification would lead to a considerable advance in our undesratnding of how these tumours form.Read moreRead less
Determining The Prerequisites For The Achievement Of Treatment-free Remission In Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia To Facilitate The Development Of New Therapeutic Approaches With Curative Intent
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,318,775.00
Summary
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) can usually be treated effectively with long-term tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Remarkably, rare patients who achieve excellent responses can stop treatment altogether without relapsing. Detailed studies of these patients in terms of their genetic background, the biology of their leukaemia and their immune response may help us understand how this is possible, leading to new therapeutic approaches to make treatment-free remission more widely achievable.