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A new clinical study that aims to better understand the biology and treatment of young women with cancer is being lead by Peter Mac's Professor Sherene Loi.
Coordinated in Australia through Breast Cancer Trials, OLIO has been funded through a $4.9 million grant from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), which supports high quality research, and novel and innovative treatments.
For unknown reasons, young women with breast cancer have a higher rate of recurrence and death from the disease. Outcomes vary across breast cancer subtypes, but they are relatively poorer for patients with HR+HER2- breast cancers.
A genomic analysis of 1,293 breast cancer samples diagnosed from young premenopausal women has identified a new drug target that may improve their outcomes.
“The only way we can improve outcomes for this group of young women with low breast cancer survival rates, is to conduct clinical trials where we are focusing on specific biological features unique to these women,” Professor Loi said.
“The OLIO trial will evaluate a specific diagnostic and therapeutic approach for young women with early-stage HR+ breast cancer who are premenopausal.
A new pathology test that will help identify specific biological features from the patient’s tumour sample will be developed by investigators at Peter Mac.
“If successful, the trial could deliver an improved approach to treatment of breast cancer in young women, who have a high risk of relapse and death from breast cancer, and improved patient outcomes.”
The project also aims to collect a bank of biological specimens for use in future research on young women’s health.
Congratulations also to Professor Michael Jefford is on the team for another successful MRFF grant being led by QUT.
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Despite their geographical distance, a Perth-based supercomputer centre is revolutionising how biomedical animation is done at Melbourne's Peter Mac.
Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs, purple) on the surface of a killer T-cell (blue).
Peter Mac's award-winning biomedical animator, Dr Maja Divjak , creates 3D animations of the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to cancer, enabling patients and their families to better understand their illness and treatment process.
But creating high resolution scientific animations requires powerful graphics processing to render the millions of pixels in each frame. Previously, this was a time-consuming and labour-intensive process.
Now, with the use of the Pawsey Supercomputer's new Nebula visualisation cluster based in Perth, Dr Divjak is able to render her work between two and four times faster.
This has proved a boon for her latest animation, which explains how innovative cancer treatment, CAR T-cell therapy, uses specially modified T-cells to directly and precisely target cancer cells.
Killer T-cell receptors (teal) binding to an abnormal cell (brown).
"Access to such a high-performance computation and graphics solution has been a game changer for my work, and for that of so many researchers – it has effectively removed the bottleneck in the animation pipeline," says Dr Divjak.
Jason Ellul, Head of Peter Mac's Research Computing Facility, agrees. He says the collaboration with Pawsey is "an excellent example of a how national infrastructure can be leveraged to further Maja’s outstanding work".
“It’s brilliant to see that Maja's vision and hard work can now be brought to life faster than what was ever possible before,” says Mr Ellul.
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Long-serving CFA volunteer, firefighter and Peter Mac patient Adam Damen saw the results of his labour on Monday when a specialised firefighting helicopter landed at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The specially arranged landing was organised to fulfil Adam’s special wish allowing him to inspect the upgraded Aerial Intelligence Gathering helicopter which he had been instrumental in developing for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, even while he was being treated for cancer.
“It’s a really complex and amazing piece of technology that has helped us track fires", says his wife Michelle. But because Adam became unwell, he never got the chance to see it."
Staff from Peter Mac, the Royal Melbourne, State Air Desk, Ambulance Victoria and the CFA cooperated to ensure Adam’s special request was achievable, with Peter Mac and Royal Melbourne staff working together to make sure that Adam was cared for while he attended the helipad.
Michelle says she couldn’t be prouder of her husband, friend and colleague: “He’s just been so dedicated to what he does and says he hasn’t felt that he has done a day’s work in his life.
But now Adam’s legacy is protecting the people of Victoria.
He was also honoured by his colleagues from the Mount Macedon CFA and DELWP Macedon staff who demonstrated their respect with a “drive by” of Peter Mac’s Parkville site during the week,
Adam, 40, who was a palliative care patient at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, sadly died on Tuesday 22 February, after a 10-month battle with synovial sarcoma.
Michelle said fire management and creating the firefighting intelligence system for Victoria’s emergency services including the CFA and DELWP was Adam’s life work.
“He’s a quiet achiever, so he won’t talk about what he does – he just gets it done,”
“It’s a really complex and amazing piece of technology that has helped us track fires", says Michelle. But because Adam became unwell, he never got the chance to see it."
“It was his life’s dedication to have the machine up and running.”
Adam worked in forest fire management since he was 20 and served during the Black Saturday and Black Summer fires in Victoria. His roles have taken him all around the country worked with our partner agencies in WA, Tasmania, NSW and ACT.
Together he and Michelle, who were high school sweethearts, have more than 40 years of service between them – Adam at DELWP and Michelle at CFA and both CFA volunteers
They have two daughters, 10 and 8.
Adam was well-known and respected by both CFA and DELWP members, and received many messages and well wishes from colleagues over his last days.
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New Peter Mac research shows that two molecular pathways that drive cancer development, work together to increase the production of fats inside cancer cells.
Increased production of fats supports the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells, but also gives us new knowledge to help identify new ways to therapeutically target them.
The Hippo/YAP and PI3K/mTOR pathways are active in the majority of malignant tumours, however until now we haven't known how they interact to control metabolism in cancer cells.
This research, published today in Developmental Cell, demonstrates they work together in cancer cells to rewire fat metabolism, which fuels tumour growth.
"We've known since the 1920s that metabolism in cancer cells is very different to metabolism in normal cells," says Dr Kristin Brown, a senior author on the study.
"But it's only in the last 10 to 15 years that we've realised that these changes in metabolism aren't simply a bystander of cancer development, but directly drive it."
As a result, there is now significant interest in trying to identify how changes in metabolism can be harnessed to develop new cancer therapies.
"Our work highlights that a better understanding of how metabolism is controlled in cancer cells can reveal vulnerabilities that might one day be targeted in the clinic," says Dr Andrew Cox, the other senior author on the study.
"Inhibitors of fat metabolism are already used to treat conditions arising from obesity and diabetes, but our study suggests they could be repurposed to also treat cancer."
Contacts:
For more information contact the Peter Mac Communications team on 0417 123 048.
About Peter Mac
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a world-leading cancer research, education and treatment centre and Australia's only public health service solely dedicated to caring for people affected by cancer.
Image: Altered lipid metabolism in prostate cancer. Credit: Ji-Xin Cheng, National Cancer Institute / Purdue University Center for Cancer Research
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Since its inception in 1997, Music Therapy at Peter Mac has enhanced the hospital experience of countless patients, alleviating both physical and emotional pain.
This World Music Therapy Day marks 25 years since the music therapy service was first introduced to cancer patients at Peter Mac back in 1997.
Since then, registered music therapists have engaged patients in music experiences to help reduce sleeplessness, stress, anxiety, breathlessness and emotional pain.
Patients affected by cancer also participate in music therapy sessions as a reflective exercise or to create a legacy gift for loved ones through song, instrumental or voice recordings.
Senior Music Therapist, Hayley Miller, says the role of a music therapist is to “harness the power of music to address a patient’s specific needs.”
“Music has an ability to stir emotions, to promote movement, to provide an escape, and to bring people together,” Ms Miller said.
Children and young adults also benefit from music therapy as a way of reducing anxiety before and after treatment or a procedure. Peter Mac’s Paediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Music Therapist, Stefanie Zappino, says that music offers younger patients a unique coping mechanism that has proven hugely effective when adjusting to the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
“I just love seeing the smiles on our youngest patients’ faces when they come into the hospital and are so excited to play music before treatment. It is a privilege to be the fun part of their day!” Ms Zappino said.
Experienced Music Therapist and researcher, Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, was instrumental in establishing the music therapy service at Peter Mac alongside oncologist Professor John Zalcberg OAM.
Associate Professor O’Callaghan reflects on the impact music therapists had on the hospital at the time: “Staff were mostly open, curious, and, upon witnessing the effect of music therapy on patients and families, very supportive. Many also reported that overhearing music therapy was personally supportive, and that music therapists enabled a more humane work environment, which could enhance patient care and teamwork.”
Professor Zalcberg’s vision for establishing a music therapy practice at Peter Mac was captured in the Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology in 2006:
“In our day-to-day lives, could we imagine a world without music? Music - that primal force that gives forth expressions of love, anger, frustration, despair, and hope, and all while facilitating communication between people and between cultures, and providing solace and peace.
How appropriate then that music be part of the treatment program for patients with life-threatening diseases such as cancer. More than any other discipline, those of us who have had the privilege of working with experienced music therapists have seen this force bring relief to so many whose existential suffering, in the midst of the chaos of a life-threatening illness, has eclipsed their soul.
Music therapy, for better or worse, is now a quantitative as well as a qualitative science. These articles illustrate the role of music therapists, helping patients of all ages and their carers survive cancer treatment, assisting them to get on with life, or to contemplate its ending, with dignity and in peace.”