天美传媒

March 3, 2021

Researchers granted a share in $13 million cancer research scheme

Cancer Institute NSW funds research into pancreatic cancer and head and neck cancer surgery

University of 天美传媒 cancer researchers Professor , Associate Professor , Distinguished Professor and Dr   have received funding from the Cancer Institute NSW.

Professor Ranson, an expert in molecular biomarkers of cancer invasion and metastasis, head and neck surgery specialist Professor Ashford and bioengineering pioneer Professor Wallace are part of a team that was awarded one of only two  worth $3.75 million over five years.

Their project, 鈥楻educing the Morbidity of Head and Neck Cancer Treatment鈥�, is led by Professor Jonathon Clark from the Chris O鈥橞rien Lifehouse/University of Sydney and looks to lessen the impact of head and neck cancer surgery.  

Associate Professor Ashford, who is the 鈥檚 Clinical Director, said their research will further the quest to reduce the burden of surgery in head and neck cancer.

鈥淗ead and neck cancers are a debilitating group of diseases which impact enormously on patients鈥� quality of life, perhaps more than any other,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e are pursuing predictive biomarkers of cancer progression to reduce the effect of surgery, and by better understanding the biology of head and neck cancer to allow for both early detection and the development of novel treatments.

鈥淎dditionally, with the enormous capability of the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute lead by Professor Gordon Wallace, we are investigating using technology such as 3D bioprinting for post-surgery reconstruction.鈥�

^{Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace, Director of Intelligent Polymer Research Institute.}

 

Professor Ranson, a Senior Fellow at IHMRI, said the translational aspect is a standout of their work.

鈥淭he strength of the team at IHMRI is that we marry busy clinical teams with top researchers. The combination of clinical translational research really happens within this collaboration,鈥� Professor Ranson said.

Dr Vine-Perrow, a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader of the Targeted Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory at IHMRI, received the  worth $600,000 over three years to continue her research into pancreatic cancer treatment.

Pancreatic tumours are one of the deadliest cancers, with late-stage diagnosis and resistance to chemotherapy resulting in a survival rate of around 9 to 13 months.

Dr Vine-Perrow and her team have developed a  which can deliver a combination of drugs directly into pancreatic tumours without the harmful side effects.

鈥淥utcomes from this project will provide important data to increase our knowledge of the use of chemotherapy with immune priming agents and checkpoint inhibitors as a new approach to treating pancreatic cancer,鈥� she said.

^{Dr Kara Vine-Perrow, a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader of the Targeted Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory at Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute.} 

 

The fellowship will provide salary support to Dr Vine-Perrow, as well as fund project costs and the employment of a research assistant, to aid collaboration with researchers around the globe.

鈥淭his Fellowship will allow my team to develop much needed preclinical models to assess our innovative immunotherapy approach. This will not only benefit my research group, but researchers more broadly, it will make the research leading to new treatments for pancreatic cancer faster and more efficient,鈥� she said.

鈥淭his is a highly prestigious and competitive award. I am excited and honoured to have received the fellowship. It will enable me to advance my career in pancreatic cancer research, build translational research capacity in the Illawarra and use novel techniques and approaches to address an unmet clinical need.鈥�