4

? F R O M the B E N C H

A new
approach
to f ighting
cancer?
Cancer touches one in three Australians and despite medical advances, because the tumour cells are inaccessible
continues to be a significant killer. It is not the emergence of a tumour itself to drugs. Also, some tumours are able to
however, that kills most cancer victims, but the fact that the tumour has spread adapt quickly and can become insensitive
and attacked a vital organ. So what causes tumours to proliferate and how can or resistant to chemotherapy.
they be prevented from spreading? Professor Philip Hogg and his team from the “Apart from during menstruation, or
when a wound is healing, the process of
Centre for Vascular Research are currently developing a new early-stage cancer
new blood vessel formation usually only
detection process and a treatment that aims to stop tumours in their tracks, so
happens when tumours grow,” said Philip
that cancer can be treated as a manageable disease rather than a terminal one.
Hogg. “GSAO is designed to kill the cells
that make new blood vessels, without
Tumours start life as a series of this by turning off the power supply of affecting normal blood vessels. Because
mutations in a cell. The mutant cell the endothelial cells that are making new new blood vessel formation is a process
divides, forming a small tumour about the blood vessels.” that all tumours rely on for growth, we
size of a poppy seed which then signals UNSW staff, in collaboration with hope GSAO will be effective for all cancer
a nearby blood vessel, instructing it to Unisearch, are currently investigating the types, regardless of where the tumour is
sprout new vessels that invade the tumour compound’s drug potential, and the results formed.”
and allow it to grow. The process of new have been encouraging. The first phase of These two projects have received
blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis, the project’s clinical trials will commence interest from leading pharmaceutical
occurs when the endothelial cells lining this year with a small group of end-stage companies as they both represent unique
an existing blood vessel are activated to cancer patients. The second phase will approaches to cancer diagnosis and
migrate and divide. take up to 18 months, in which different therapy. “We still have many hurdles to
“Because tumour cells proliferate so ways of administering the compound overcome”, said Philip Hogg, “but we hope
rapidly there is often not enough oxygen will be tested. If the first two phases are our efforts will help in the early detection
around to sustain the older cells and they successful, a third multinational phase and treatment of cancer.”
die,” said Professor Philip Hogg. “We’re will be initiated and will depend on
exploring a biochemical compound we further funding from venture capital or
designed that seeks out and binds to pharmaceutical companies. The entire
dying cancer cells and will hopefully allow project is expected to last five years. FUNDING
for imaging even the smallest of tumours. Currently, the most common cancer UNSW, National Health &
This will mean we can detect cancer therapy is chemotherapy, which presents Medical Research Council,
earlier. numerous problems that GSAO will Australian Research Council,
“We have also been developing a hopefully overcome. Chemotherapy uses Cancer Council NSW and
synthetic compound called GSAO that toxic drugs that attempt to kill cancerous Australian Cancer Research
reacts with a particular arrangement cells, but can also kill healthy cells, Foundation
of amino acids in proteins. We realised which is harmful for the patient. There
that the compound stops new blood are also some cancers that don’t respond
vessels being formed in tumours without to chemotherapy because of the type
affecting existing blood vessels. It does of mutation that started the cancer, or

FOR INFORM ATION CONTACT Pr ofe s s o r Ph i l i p H o g g at p.h o g g @ unsw.e d u. au