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Advanced Prostate Cancer Lab

Our research aims to identify genes and biological pathways whose expression changes can predict the development of aggressive prostate cancer, or resistance to chemotherapy treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Our recent research has identified and developed a blood-based lipid biomarker that can identify patients with metastatic prostate cancer who have abnormal lipid metabolism associated with drug resistance. In collaboration with the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and St Vincent’s Hospital, we are developing clinical trials to improve prostate cancer treatment by a precision metabolic targeting approach. We take a multidisciplinary approach that utilises the expertise of cancer researchers, clinicians and pathologists, both within and outside Garvan.

Our team works closely with ANZUP (Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate) Clinical Trials Group to develop biomarker-driven clinical trials, such as the GUIDE study. This study is randomising men with metastatic prostate cancer receiving docetaxel chemotherapy to standard or biomarker-driven treatment, based on work with Professor Susan Clark’s Cancer Epigenetics Lab on circulating mGSTP1. This study is the result of a 10-year clinical translational collaboration, which has now led to a world-first clinical trial.

Research team