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Garvan Institute

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Tumour Progression

 

The large majority of breast cancers arise through sporadic genetic and epigenetic alterations during a woman's life. By identifying these alterations, we will greatly improve our ability to predict the behaviour of breast cancer and treat patients.

By integrating cutting edge in vitro and in vivo models with studies of clinical specimens, the Tumour Progression Group is taking two approaches to identifying cancer-causing alterations.

1) The most lethal breast cancers metastasise to the lymph nodes, lung and bone, causing the majority of suffering and mortality associated with breast cancer. We have convincing evidence that the ID family of transcription factors play an important role in breast cancer metastasis. We are currently investigating their mechanism of action.

2) microRNAs are recently identified non-protein-coding RNA molecules that play a key role in regulation of gene expression in normal development. New evidence from our lab and others points to a role for microRNAs in cancer. We are studying the regulation of tumour suppressors and proto-oncogenes by microRNAs.

 

Career opportunities

 

We are always looking for talented, ambitious students and postdocs to join our group. Please contact Alex directly for further information.

 

Staff

Radhika NairResearch Officer
Dr Radhika Nair

Akira NguyenResearch Officer
Dr Akira Nguyen

Andrea McFarland Research Assistant
Andrea McFarland

 

Jessica YangResearch Assistant
Jessica Yang

Simon JunankarPhD Student
Simon Junankar
Yu Wei PhuaPhD Student
Yuwei Phua
Si YePhD Student
Si Ye
Wee TeoPhD Student
Wee Teo
Research Assistant
Anika Prabhu

Mun HuiPhD Student
Mun Hui

News

 

CINSW presents Premier’s Awards to two Garvan Researchers

MEDIA RELEASE: 15 Jul 2011
At a gala dinner held last night, the Cancer Institute NSW presented Dr Alex Swarbrick with the CINSW 2011 Premier’s Fellow of the Year Award and Dr David Chang with the CINSW 2011 Premier’s Scholar of the Year Award, as well as a Pfizer Oncology International Studentship.
 
 

Silencing a deadly conversation in breast cancer

MEDIA RELEASE: 02 Jun 2011
Garvan researchers have shown that a molecule known as ‘hedgehog’ sits at the centre of a cellular 'switchboard' in breast cancer, transmitting biochemical signals between the cancer cells and the healthy cells nearby. They have identified a new way of turning off this cellular cross talk - which would otherwise allow the cancer to thrive. This off switch offers a potential therapeutic, especially for women with cancers that do not respond to current treatments.
 
 

A new way of reversing certain cancers

MEDIA RELEASE: 27 Sep 2010
Australian and American scientists have identified a particular microRNA (a recently discovered class of gene) as a therapeutic target in treating certain cancers, such as the childhood neural cancers known as 'neuroblastomas', some melanomas and some brain cancers. The microRNA appears to disable the king of tumour suppressors, the P53 gene. Findings in mice show that blocking the microRNA can restore P53 production and shrink tumours.
 
 

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