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Innovative projects tackle brain cancer

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Five innovative brain cancer research projects have been handed more than $725,000 to tackle the disease.

Professor Hubert Hondermarck, from the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and University of Newcastle, HMRI cancer researcher, Dr Michael Fay, and Dr Jonathan Goodwin, from Calvary Mater Newcastle, were among the recipients in the Mark Hughes Foundation’s inaugural Brain Cancer Innovation Project grant round.

MHF co-founder, Mark Hughes, said the “unique” funding rounds would provide researchers with a relatively short timeframe to develop novel ideas.

“These projects will be conducted over one to two years, with the ultimate aim of solving the riddle of brain cancer,” he said.
“We wanted to award funding to big thinkers who could knuckle down and tackle this insidious disease.”

Professor Hondermarck received almost $150,000 to undertake a form of research known as cancer neurobiology.

His team will build on their work in exploring the role of neurons in prostate, breast and thyroid cancers and transfer their knowledge to glioblastoma – a unique brain cancer.

“Recent evidence in other cancers, including from our laboratory, has demonstrated the crucial role played by neurons in stimulating cancer initiation and progression,” Professor Hondermarck said.

“The neurons can stimulate cancer cell growth and the propagation of cells.

“It’s vitally important to prevent this interaction between cancer cells and neurons to decrease the overall aggressiveness of glioblastoma.”

Dr Fay aims to identify new targets and treatment for recurrent glioblastama to prolong survival rates, while Dr Goodwin will explore glucose metabolism in head and neck cancer patients using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based approach.

The two other recipients were Dr Julius Woongki Kim, from the Children’s Medical Institute in Sydney, and Dr Fatemeh Vafaee, from the University of NSW.

The funding announcement saw NRL chief executive, Todd Greenberg, the Callander family, and representatives from Channel Nine and Fox Sports attend as special guests to recognise rugby league’s support for the 2018 MHF beanie round.

The Beanie for Brain Cancer campaign has raised $5 million over the past two years.

This year’s edition will take place in round 19, from 25 to 28 July, with the new MHF beanies launching on 1 June.

The next national round of brain cancer innovation grants will open later in 2019.

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