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$2 million boost to SVI cancer research

November 24th, 2011

St Vincent’s Institute last night received a $2 million grant from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) to help develop new treatments for cancer.

The new ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre at SVI will provide Australian cancer researchers with access to early stage drug discovery tools, bridging the gap that exists between academia and industry in the drug discovery pipeline. Funding from the ACRF will be used to purchase key equipment to underpin the new Centre.

Institute Director, Professor Tom Kay said, “Support from the ACRF plays a pivotal role in helping Australian researchers in the fight against cancer. Providing our world-class researchers with state-of-the-art equipment helps us to build the best teams to make important discoveries. We are very grateful to the ACRF for their important work and their continued support."”

The ACRF funding will support the research of Professor Michael Parker, Associate Professor Louise Purton and Dr Carl Walkley, and will enhance the identification and follow-up of promising drug targets for cancer therapy, with a focus on cancers of the blood and bone.

Professor Parker’s contribution to the elucidation of medically important structures and their use for drug discovery (most recently, high-profile insights into the GM-CSF receptor) and A/Prof Purton and Dr Walkley’s internationally recognised research into blood stem cell development and cancers of the blood and bone represent a unique collection of resources. Combined with new facilities funded by the ACRF, the team is poised to make exciting new discoveries that will impact upon cancer treatment.

A/Prof Purton said “One in three Australian men and one in four women are directly affected by cancer before the age of 75 and over 100,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. While survival rates have increased significantly over the past 20 years, cancer remains a leading cause of death: every year over 36,000 Australians die of the disease. Our aim is to improve these statistics, and the ACRF funding gives us the best chance to do so.”

In the 26 years since its formation, the ACRF has awarded almost $71 million in cancer research grants to support leading edge Australian initiatives, ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of global cancer research.