The ACRF Centre

Menzies Research Institute was awarded $1.1 million in funding from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation to form the ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Centre (ACRF Centre) in 2007.

The ACRF Centre will be based in our new Menzies building which is due for completion in December 2009. This grant will facilitate the fit-out of state-of-the-art laboratories in the new building and the purchase of cutting edge equipment not currently available in Tasmania.

A Collaborative Approach

The ACRF Centre will provide researchers with significant resources needed to unlock the causes of inherited cancers like prostate cancer and leukaemia.

The ACRF Centre will bring together a number of groups in Tasmania that are working on different aspects of cancer research. The ACRF Centre will draw together geneticists, biologists, clinicians and ethicists to enhance cooperation and build a world-class cancer genetics programme. Using this collaborative approach, Menzies will enhance and expand its genealogical resources, and link them with cutting edge biomedical and genetic research.

Cancer Research

Many cancers, including some forms of prostate cancer and leukaemia, are caused by an inherited, or genetic, tendency that interacts with other factors to result in the onset of the cancer. The identification of the genes underlying many diseases has led to both a greater understanding of the disease and, in some cases, significant advances in treatment therapies.

Some cancers are due to a combination of genetic factors and environmental events. The ACRF grant enables Menzies to put all systems in place to allow researchers to identify not only disease genes but also the environmental triggers to disease.