Archived News for Research Sector Professionals - May, 2012
A University of Queensland researcher has discovered nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer, taking the tally of all genes associated with breast cancer development to 40.
Published recently in Nature journal, the study is part of an international initiative to sequence the genomes of a variety of cancers. Professor Sunil Lakhani from the UQ Centre for Clinical Research along with an international team of breast cancer researchers lead by Professor Michael Stratton (Sanger Institute, UK), examined all the genes in the genomes of 100 cases of breast cancer.
Professor Sunil Lakhani said mutated cancer-causing genes (called driver genes) were different in different cancer samples, indicating that breast cancer is genetically very diverse.
“Understanding the consequences of this diversity will be important in progressing towards more rational treatment,” Professor Lakhani said.
“The idea behind the work was to establish ‘the landscape' of genetic changes in breast cancer with a view to understanding which genes drive a breast cell to become cancerous.”
“Recently, we have begun to appreciate that breast cancer is not one disease but has several different subtypes. However, what the study shows is that the diversity and differences between patients is much greater than appreciated. Although 28 of the 100 cancers had a single driver mutation, some had as many as six. There were 40 different cancer genes implicated in the development of the cancer and in 73 different combinations – almost every cancer is therefore unique.”
“It is showing us that we will have to use broad information about cancer subtypes (as we do at present in the clinic) and combine it with the unique genomic features of each patients cancer in order to provide individualised treatment plans – which will be a challenge, but hopefully will also improve outcomes by providing new opportunities to target the mutations with specific drugs.”
The research was carried out at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, one of the world's leading genome centres, located in the UK.
Colless takes the reins at ANU's space school
The Australian National University (ANU) has announced the appointment of Professor Matthew Colless as Director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Desalination research projects funded
Ten new desalination research projects will share in $2.7 million from the Australian Government funded National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia (NCEDA).
DSTO nutrition research facility to be upgraded
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation’s nutrition research facility at Scottsdale in Tasmania is to undergo an $18.7 million upgrade.
New technology improves absorption of drugs
Researchers at the University of South Australia’s Ian Wark Research Institute and Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science at Monash University have developed a way to use innovative nanotechnologies to ensure disease-controlling drugs are absorbed in the body much more efficiently.
SA Government continues funding for road safety research
The South Australian Government has signed an agreement with the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR) to extend funding for its road safety research for another five years.
WA announces resources research institute
The Western Australian Government has announced the formation of a new resources research institute aimed at driving innovation.
New research cluster to focus on livestock methane emissions
A new research cluster called the Methane Research Cluster has been formed to focus on reduction of livestock methane emissions in Australia, which accounts for 10 per cent of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Research warns of acidification threat to plankton
New research from the UK and Australia suggests that the rate of acidification of the world’s oceans is having a bigger effect on the population of plankton than previously anticipated.
Sahajwalla joins Climate Commission
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, has announced the appointment of Professor Veena Sahjwalla to the Climate Commission.
New research centre to focus on molecular basis for Chinese medicine
The University of Adelaide has entered a partnership with the Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Zhendong Pharmaceutical Company to form Zhendong Australia China Centre for Molecular Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Autism research centre launched
A new autism research centre has been launched at Griffith University’s Mt Gravatt campus.
Victoria overhauls DPI to focus on R&D
The Victorian Government has announced a major overhaul and substantial changes to the deployment of staff of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) with the aim of refocusing it towards delivering research and development to rural stakeholders.
$126 million boost for science and research in universities
The Federal Government has outlined an additional $126 million in funding for science and research in universities in 2012-13.
$29.8 million for new innovation centre
The Federal Government has announced $29.8 million in spending for the creation of a new Manufacturing Technology Innovation Centre.
Link found between Lupus and lack of Vitamin D
Lupus patients show more severe symptoms of the disease if their vitamin D levels are low, an Australian-first study has found.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects more than five million people worldwide, was found to be worse in vitamin D deficient SLE patients than in those with normal levels, in the study led by Professor Eric Morand, head of the Monash Lupus Clinic and Southern Clinical School at Monash Medical Centre.
The research also observed that Australians are more susceptible to the disease due to environmental, genetic and cultural factors, which contribute to vitamin D deficiency.
Professor Morand said although practicing sun avoidance is important for lupus patients, as sunlight can make aspects of the disease worse, this can lead to vitamin D deficiency and an increase in the severity of the disease.
“In multicultural Australia, instances of vitamin D deficiency can be seen in cultural groups where clothing covers the body, in people with dark skin tone who have lower absorption, and those who practice sun avoidance” Professor Morand said.
The findings will be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association in Canberra.
Plant diversity key to ecosystem stability
Losing even just a few plant species in diverse ecosystems could in the long term reduce biomass production and impair ecosystem sustainability say the authors of a new study published in the international journal, Science.
University of Adelaide studying hereditary risks of breast and ovarian cancer
Researchers from the University of Adelaide are hoping to better understand why the mutated genes for breast and ovarian cancer are not passed on more frequently from one generation of women to the next.
CSIRO shows continuing deep ocean change
The CSIRO has warned of drastic changes to volume of Antarctic Bottom Water, the cold dense water that drives global ocean currents, after releasing recent findings.
IP Australia launches online services
IP Australia has launched its online service, eServices, which provides a secure electronic business portal to register, login and conduct selected transactions.
In the first release of eServices customers can renew all IP rights and submit trade mark registrations electronically, and pay for them online using VISA or MasterCard. You can also access new features such as the option to save your requests, access your eServices transaction history and update your details.
The services and transactions within eServices have built-in checks and pre-populated fields to save time and help ensure the accuracy of the information.
Over the coming months IP Australia will be adding more transactions and services to the portal to make it a one-stop-shop to help in the management of IP assets.
MDBA announces science advisory committee
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences to advise the authority on key parts of its strategy.