University of Newcastle (UoN) Professor Nikki Verrills is one of three recipients to benefit from a $600,000 windfall to improve care for people with cancer.
The NSW Government awarded her a Cancer Institute NSW Research Equipment Grant to purchase a CellenONE – a tool enabling researchers to capture subtle differences in individual cells.
The device will help Professor Verrills and her team to better identify all the different types of cancer cells in a tumour to understand those that may resist therapy and improve an understanding of why relapse or treatment resistance occurs and to ultimately prevent it.
Their work is expected to focus on blood cancer, breast cancer and brain tumours, and the development of precision therapies tailored to the unique cellular makeup of each individual cancer.
“In the past, we lacked the tools to study cancer cells individually, which meant most treatments were designed to target the bulk of the tumour,” said Professor Verrills of HMRI’s Precision Medicine Research Program.
“Unfortunately, this approach can leave behind cells that resist therapy and allow the cancer to return.
“To develop truly effective treatments, we need to analyse every cell type within a tumour and understand its unique behaviour.
“This equipment will allow us to peer deeper than ever before into cancers to make new research discoveries, which will undoubtedly lead to improved therapies for the most difficult to treat cancers.”
NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Cancer Institute NSW CEO Professor Tracey O’Brien AM hailed the announcement.
“Significant progress has been made in understanding and treating cancer,” she said.
“However, it remains the leading cause of death in NSW… and a disease few people are not touched by in some way.
“We’re thrilled to partner with some of our state’s leading cancer clinicians and researchers to accelerate our understanding of a disease that continues to devastate communities across NSW.”
Two other beneficiaries were also awarded $600,000 Cancer Institute NSW Research Equipment Grants, Professor Hilda Pickett and Associate Professor Emily Blyth, both from University of Sydney.
“Targeted research is vital to delivering better treatments and interventions that reduce the impact of cancer and ultimately save lives,” Minister for Medical Research David Harris said.
“Our talented and committed researchers, such as Professor Verrills, strive every day to improve the lives of people in NSW and across the world.
‘We’re proud to invest in them to continue their work and help improve cancer outcomes for all.”
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