Here's some more on the Dr.
Our Research
Our investigations into this rare, aggressive skin cancer have shown that the expression of two developmental transcription factors, Brn-3c and HATH 1, can distinguish between cancers which still have a neuroendocrine phenotype and those that have lost expression of these markers. This suggests that these expression patterns may be prognostic in MCC. In addition, we have shown that normal human Merkel cells express Brn-3c and HATH 1. MCC cell lines which retain neuroendocrine phenotype, are slow growing in culture, grow in suspension and are thought to be less aggressive, have been shown to retain Brn-3c and HATH 1 expression. Variant suspension lines which no longer express neuroendocrine markers, retain Brn-3c expression but lack HATH 1. Further, Type IV Variant MCC lines which grow as adherent monolayers, have shorter doubling times, are more radiation resistant and have higher cloning efficiencies in soft agar (all thought to be indicative of aggressive tumours), lack expression of Brn-3c and HATH 1 transcription factors. (see pdf)
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Melanocytes and their precursors, melanoblasts
In collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Rick Sturm, UQ, we have established a series of melanocyte strains which have all been genotyped for their melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) (Sturm, 2001). it has been shown that variants of this protein are responsible for red hair colour and fair skin, and people with this phenotype are more likely to get melanoma (Box et al, 1997, and Sturm, 2002). We have now established a bank of 300 strains of melanocytes to enable us to investigate the relative sensitivities of these strains to ultraviolet light.
In addition, we have recently developed the culture conditions required to grow melanocyte precursors or melanoblasts. The cultures will be useful in analysing the gene expression patterns and protein signal transduction pathways of melanoblasts which may be reactivated during the formation of melanoma tumour cells to form dysplastic melanocytes.
Melanoblasts (left panel) have many dendrites (processes)
while melanocytes (right panel) tend to have only two dendrites
Pancreatic Cancer
We have recently identified a chemical which causes pancreatic cells to undergo cell death by apoptosis. The mechanisms by which this occurs are being examined to determine whether the compound will be useful in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Mechanisms of lung cancer
Biopsy material from tumour and normal lung epithelium is being compared by cDNA array technology and 2-D PAGE (see image below) to determine the molecular changes which lead to lung cancer. In the past, normal lung has been used for such studies. The disadvantage of this is that it is not a diverse mix of tissue, whereas epithelium is the tissue of origin for most lung cancer.
