INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AND PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF NOVEL METASTATIC MARKERS FOR BREAST CANCER [ 2001 - 2003 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Gordon Burns (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Anthony Leong ,  Prof Stephen Ackland

Brief description Breast cancer is the most malignant tumour of women and, despite great advances in detection and treatment, some 30% of women who present with primary breast cancer eventually relapse or die of their disease. Genetic studies have resulted in the rapid identification of the one-third of women at high risk of developing breast cancer because of a family history of the disease: it is hoped that these women will eventually benefit from advances in gene therapy now being developed. For the majority of women developing breast cancer, however, the outcome, or prognosis, remains uncertain. The most important indicators of outcome are obtained by study of the excised cancer tissue, and these relate to the speed of growth of the cancer cells and their ability to migrate, or metastasise, to other sites in the body. Studies of cancer tissue using molecular cell biological methods has enabled the identification of several markers that are proving useful as indicators of outcome, and further understanding of the biological functioning of these markers will enable these molecules to be targetted in new treatments aimed at preventing the spread of the cancer. The present study will examine the appearance of new markers for cell migration among breast cancers and measure their value as indicators of outcome. One molecule in particular may be useful as a therapeutic target since it is used by migrating cells during development but is not expressed by normal (non-cancer) adult tissue cells. Towards this, the project will seek to understand how this molecule functions in cell migration.

Funding Amount $AUD 423,564.26

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant