New funding gives hope for improved cancer outcomes

The Cancer Clinical Academic Group of Maridulu Budyari Gumal, the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) is establishing the next generation imaging of 3D cancer models thanks to a new Research Equipment Grant of $830K from the Cancer Institute NSW and additional funding of $355K from the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

This initiative was formulated by Dr Renee Whan, Head of the Katharina Gaus Light Microscopy Facility, who recognised the opportunity presented by the latest developments in lightsheet microscopy.

Lead Researcher, UNSW Professor Peter Gunning and his team, will use the FLIM lightsheet microscope, the first of its kind in Australia, to examine 3D cancer models. The use of this specialised microscope will help shed light onto how cancers form and behave and will pave the way to identify new molecular, cellular and immune targets for treatment.

“Imaging 3D cancer models such as organoids and explants are now considered the gold standard for rapidly assessing new drug candidates or biomarkers for cancer treatment,” explains Professor Gunning.

“The new microscope will provide the means to conduct optimal imaging of 3D cancer models. Gaining information on the differences, architecture and microenvironment cues of gliomas, neuroblastomas, pancreatic, ovarian and breast cancers and their response to novel and existing therapeutics will help to expedite the use of targeted therapies into clinics.”

“Ultimately, we hope this research will help improve patient survival and quality of life.”

The new microscope will be housed at the Katharina Gaus Light Microscopy Facility (KGLMF) at UNSW and will be available for use by other cancer researchers in the SPHERE partnership.

A key focus of SPHERE’s Cancer Clinical Academic Group is on cancers with poor outcomes including developing and testing therapeutics to treat pancreatic, ovarian, brain and other rare and poor outcome cancers.

Chief Investigators

Lead, Professor Gunning,

Dr Renee Whan, Professor Phoebe Phillips, A/Prof Caroline Ford, A/Prof Gila Moalem-Taylor, Professor David Goldstein, Professor Jeff Holst, Dr Orazio Vittorio, A/Prof Joshua McCarroll, Professor Maria Kavallaris.