A new cancer therapy centre will adjust treatments for patients in real-time in an innovate new approach to care.
QIMR Berghofer scientists at the ACRF Centre for Optimised Cancer Therapy are aiming to revolutionise personalised cancer treatment by integrating the latest advances in genomics and technology to understand how cancerous tumours respond to treatment.
Professor Steven Lane said the Centre would be jointly managed by researchers and clinicians from QIMR Berghofer, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital, to deliver a “bench to bedside” approach to treating people with cancer.
“We will use novel research tools to work out how different treatments can be combined and delivered in real time, to improve patient outcomes,” he explained.
Dr Nicola Waddell said the Centre would adopt an entirely new approach to cancer precision medicine, focused on the dynamic changes that happen during the treatment of cancer.
“By using genomic single cell and spatial technologies, together with big data sets, we hope we can offer alternative treatments, in real time.
“We will examine patient samples, at the time of surgery, during treatment, and at the completion of treatment to provide a comprehensive view of how different cancers respond to standard chemotherapy; immunotherapy; targeted therapies; and cellular therapies,” Dr Waddell said.
Professor Lane said the Centre was unique in that it had access to extensive samples from patients who were undergoing treatment.
“Vital information about cancer tumour responses will be available, allowing us to inform and validate individualised therapeutic approaches in a clinical setting, ultimately leading to improved treatment options for patients,” Professor Lane said.
The centre was made possible through a $2 million grant from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF), which provided researchers with cutting-edge equipment to develop the technology for future clinical tests.
