The prize of decoding ovarian cancer

It’s long been known that ovarian cancer cells develop as a result of damage to their genetic code. But cancer cells still require a congenial environment in which to flourish.

This means controlling the behaviour of surrounding normal cells, and the process that enables ovarian cancer cells to do this was long a contentious issue.

Now Victorian researcher Dr Wen Qiu has received the Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research from Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu for her work in uncovering how ovarian cancers influence their surrounding cells.

Qiu discovered that ovarian cancer cells are able to trick nearby normal cells into providing growth factors by sending signals that switch genes in the healthy cells on or off.

The discovery, made with Associate Processor Ian Campbell at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, may lead to new treatments for ovarian cancer which interrupt this signalling between cancerous and normal healthy cells.

Qiu completed her postgraduate studies in 2009 and published her principal findings in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. Qiu’s work was also recognised through the receipt of Peter Mac’s prestigious internal research award, The Postgraduate Research Medal, in 2009.

In receiving the Premier’s Award, Qiu also received a $16,000 prize.

Three other commendees were also presented with $8,000 each:

• Dr Amanda Rickard, a Monash University PhD graduate from the Prince Henry’s Institute for her research into the mineralocorticoid receptor, which has provided valuable insights into heart failure.

• Dr Andrew Steer, a University of Melbourne PhD graduate from the Centre for International Child Health and Royal Children’s Hospital, showed a new vaccine under clinical trials in Australia holds great promise in the global fight against group A streptococcal disease.

• Dr Michelle Tate, A University of Melbourne PhD graduate from the Monash Institute of Medical Research, for her research which has provided a detailed understanding of the immune defences involved in the early recognition and destruction of influenza virus.