Taking breast cancer research into the clinic

The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has awarded its inaugural Translational Grant of $1.25 million to a team of Melbourne-based scientists to develop their research findings about a new class of anticancer drugs for treating breast cancer.

Professor Geoff Lindeman, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) and Royal Melbourne Hospital, and collaborators plan to use the funding to further their research into this new class of drugs, called BH3 mimetics. 

BH3 mimetics specifically target proteins inside cancer cells. These proteins help tumours survive and become resistant to treatment.

Proteins from the Bcl-2 family are found in about 75% of breast cancers, and most estrogen-positive breast cancers have high levels of Bcl-2. The Bcl-2 protein protects cancer cells from the toxic effects of anticancer drugs, helping to drive the development of resistance.

BH3-mimetics neutralise Bcl-2 in breast tumours so that chemotherapy is able to kill cancer cells more effectively.

The researchers will use the NBCF grant to build on this work and investigate how different BH3 mimetics work on their own and in combination with chemotherapy and antihormone therapy to treat breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in Australian women and affects one in eight women over their lifetime. Currently, 37 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day.

Antihormone therapies, such as tamoxifen, have significantly improved survival for patients with hormone-positive breast cancer; however, many women who initially respond well to these drugs develop drug resistance over time. This can lead to cancer recurrence, with limited therapy options, and remains a major obstacle to the effective treatment of breast cancer.

The foundation also released findings of an independent evaluation of the impact of NBCF-funded research this week, conducted by the Health Economics Research Group (HERG) from Brunel University in the UK.

The report found that since 1995, NBCF-funded research has had a significant impact in areas such as policy and decision making, development of new drugs and diagnostics, changes in clinical practice and gains in quality of life for women with breast cancer. NBCF-funded research also resulted in the production of new knowledge about breast cancer.

Australia’s leading breast cancer research charity, NBCF was established in 1994 with the aim of raising money for research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer. Since 1994, over $97 million has been awarded to fund over 340 Australian-based research projects to improve the health and wellbeing of those affected by breast cancer.