Research Theme

Cancer

Cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia. It is estimated that 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women in Australia will be directly affected by cancer in the first 75 years of life. Cancer accounts for 29% of male deaths and 25% of female deaths in Australia each year (Source: AIHW 2004).

The Menzies Research Institute conducts research to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the causes and treatment of many types of cancer. Menzies is also home to the Tasmanian Cancer Registry.

ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Centre

The Menzies Research Institute has been awarded $1.1 million in funding from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation to form the ACRF Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Centre. See the media release for more details.

Some examples of research projects within the Cancer research theme at the Menzies Research Institute:

Cigarette type and lung function study

Scientists debate whether smoking low-tar cigarettes reduces the harm done by smoking. The study seeks to determine whether there are differences in lung function between people who smoke low-tar cigarettes, and those who smoke cigarettes that have higher tar yields. The lungs of participants are scanned to determine whether the pattern of deposition of smoke-like particles differs between smokers of lower-yield and higher-yield cigarettes.

Skin cancer and non-Hodgkins lymphoma

Skin cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) have become more common in recent years. Sun exposure is known to increase the risk of skin cancer and it may play a role in the development of NHL. Using data from the Tasmanian Cancer Registry, the study aims to determine how frequently both cancers occur together in the same individual. This will help to improve our understanding of whether there are common causal factors.

Record linkage was performed to identify Tasmanians with both non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and NHL. Primary data analysis has revealed that people with a history of NMSC are at an increased risk of developing NHL. Additional data analysis will determine whether the incidence of NHL is higher in people with multiple NMSC lesions compared to those with only one previous lesion, and whether the prognosis of patients diagnosed with NHL is poorer for those with a history of NMSC than for those without a history of NMSC.

For more information, contact:

Associate Professor Leigh Blizzard

Senior Biostatistician

Telephone: (03) 6226 7719

Tall Girls Breast Density Study

This study aims to find out whether estrogen treatment to reduce the adult height of tall girls has had any long-term effects on breast tissue. One of the features of breast tissue is the proportion of dense tissue that appears on a breast x-ray. This feature, referred to as mammographic density, is recognised as a risk factor for breast cancer. Mammographic density is known to be affected by hormones such as estrogen. However, it is not known whether hormone levels in adolescence have any long-term effects on the breast.

Study protocols were developed in 2006 and approvals obtained to access mammograms from BreastScreen services around Australia. Women aged 40 years and over who had been assessed or treated for tall stature as adolescents, and who had participated in a previous follow-up study of the effects of treatment, have been invited to participate. So far 250 (58%) have agreed to take part and most have completed a telephone interview. Women who have had a mammogram in the past have given us permission to access and scan the x-ray film for breast density measurements. Others have made appointments to have their first mammogram.

For more information, contact:

 

Associate Professor Alison Venn

Deputy Director

Telephone: (03) 6226 7706

Investigating the role of the RUNX1 protein in the regulation of gene expression in myeloid cells

The RUNX1 (or Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 1) protein is altered in a significant proportion of leukaemias. This project aims to investigate how the RUNX1 protein functions within cells in order to understand how its altered activity contributes to the development of leukaemia.

RUNX1 regulates the expression of a factor called GM-CSF, which is important for normal blood cell growth. GM-CSF is expressed in normal myeloid cells, but not in a leukaemic cell line containing an altered form of RUNX1. We have found that this is because the GM-CSF gene is epigenetically ‘tagged’ or differently marked in these cells and that RUNX1 is responsible for setting up some of these tags. Importantly we have found that we are able to turn GM-CSF back on in the leukaemic cells by treating the cells with agents that are able to correct some of these tags.

For more information, contact:

 

Associate Professor Meng Inn Chuah

Senior Member

Telephone: (03) 6226 2664

Analysis of a Lentivirus-delivered shRNA to Prevent Leukaemic Cell Growth

Carefully designed short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) have the potential to inactivate specific cancer causing genes. This project is aimed at producing shRNAs to target a range of leukaemic genes, which will cause the leukemic cells to either differentiate, or to die. Either way the cells will no longer be cancer cells.

The lentiviral vectors to deliver the shRNAs have been constructed and are under the process of evaluation. Preliminary results suggest that at least one of the shRNAs being tested does induce a significant knockdown of the target gene and therefore warrants further investigation.

For more information, contact:

 

Associate Professor Meng Inn Chuah

Senior Member

Telephone: (03) 6226 2664