Lung cancer

Improved treatment. The lung is a critical immune tissue harbouring cells of both the adaptive and innate immune system that enable rapid and potent immune responses. Small cell lung cancer typically arises in patients after chronic cigarette exposure which makes it the tumour type with the second highest DNA-mutation rate. This mutation rate, coupled with the immune infiltrate in the lung led to the hypothesis that the use of revolutionary new cancer therapies that harness the immune system (checkpoint inhibitors) would be an effective. However, these drugs are only effective in a small number of SCLC patients suggesting that SCLC suppresses the immune system. Importantly, it is possible to reanimate the immune system to limit SCLC growth and metastasis and to improve the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Dr Gough’s team uses sophisticated genetically engineered pre-clinical models, functional genomics, drug screening and biochemistry to find ways to re-engage the host immune system and improve outcomes for SCLC.

Team | Associate Professor Daniel Gough, Dr Vinod Ganju, Professor Paul Hertzog

Epigenetic and molecular studies. Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Some epigenetic changes increase your cancer risk. The mutations in genes needed for epigenetic regulation are frequent in non-small cell lung cancer. Using cell and pre-clinical models of lung cancer, A/Prof Cain’s team is investigating potential treatments that exploit the dependency of epigenetic dysregulation in lung cancer. It is hoped this information will provide a greater understanding of disease biology and lead to improved treatments and patient outcomes.

Lead Researcher | Associate Professor Jason Cain

There is a desperate need for improved and less invasive treatments for cancers.

Dr Daniel Garama and his research team have developed naturally derived Next Generation Photodynamic Therapy (NG-PDT) compounds that are able to target and kill tumour cells in melanoma, ovarian, lung, blood, prostate and pancreatic cancers, in both invitro and preclinical models, and also clinically in melanoma.

This collaborative program at Hudson Institute, supported by RMW Cho, has led to the development of a next generation Photodynamic Therapy Photodynamic drug that uses far UV light and kills tumour cells via oxygen generation.

The next step is to move into clinical trial stages using these NG-PDT compounds with the aim of developing new non-invasive cancer treatment pathways for some of the deadliest cancers.

Team | Dr Daniel Garama, Lethica Low, Luhith Dimantha, Anurag Yadav, Dr Donald Murphy

Affiliates | Associate Professor Seb Marcuccio, Scott Carpenter, Michael Cho, Hon Cho, Alex Bennett