Foundation’s collaborative partnership leads to breakthrough
Media Release
Tuesday 10 July 2012
The Leukaemia Foundation says that today’s research breakthrough is good news for Australians with leukaemia and lymphoma, and for collaborative research partnerships to find cancer cures.
The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne today announced a breakthrough in understanding the processes that control the growth and proliferation blood cancer cells through a project which has received funding from the Leukaemia Foundation. The breakthrough has been made with a novel small molecule CX 5461 – an inhibitor of protein development in cancer cells. Researchers have been able to demonstrate that this small molecule can selectively stop the process in cancer cells that enables cancer cells to grow in an uncontrolled manner.
“Today’s announcement of the potential to inhibit the development of cancer cells is good news for people with lymphoma and leukaemia,” said Dr Anna Williamson, General Manager of Research and Advocacy at the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia.
“Unfortunately, about a third of people do not respond to current treatments or relapse soon after treatment. The potential for this new understanding is that researchers will be able to find a way to activate the normal cell processes that causes cancer cells to die, without affecting healthy cells," she said.
The Leukaemia Foundation says that this breakthrough is also a success story for the decision of funding bodies to collaborate on important research projects.
“The Leukaemia Foundation is proud to have supported this work through our National Research Program, which aims to support critical blood cancer research in hospitals and research institutions across the country.
“In this case, we were pleased to support lead researcher Dr Megan Bywater in a co-funded postdoctoral fellowship with Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, and to provide Associate Professor Ross Hannan with a Grant-In-Aid.
“We congratulate the research team involved in this important work and look forward to the opening of clinical trials to explore the value of the CX5461 molecule as a potential new therapy for people with blood cancers.”
The Leukaemia Foundation has committed over $24 million to blood cancer reserach to improve treatments and find cures since our National Research Program began in 2005. We receive no ongoing government funding and thank all of the corporate and community supporters who provide the funds needed for our Vision to Cure program.
For more information, media details, photo opportunities or interviews, please contact:
Tania Cavaiuolo
General Manager - Marketing and Communications
0434 366 777
tcavaiuolo@leukaemia.org.au
