More than 160,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia each year. But today, a major funding announcement about technology for transformative cancer research is poised to change the future of cancer detection, prevention and treatment. Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has awarded a major $10 million grant to Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to fund the installation of a world-first next-generation total-body PET/CT scanner.
Housed in the ACRF Centre of Advanced Imaging-Guided Cancer Therapeutics at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria, this technology, combined with the expertise of an unrivalled multidisciplinary team, will speed up the development of new scans and targeted treatments to improve outcomes for people with cancer.
The Centre will integrate and accelerate new and existing research programs while training new young investigators across multiple disciplines. It will invest in new equipment for state-of-the-art pre-clinical imaging. This will accelerate the development of novel, first-in-class radiolabelled molecules that have the capacity to target a range of cancers to rapidly enable their translation to human trials.
Using this advanced technology, researchers will now be able to explore the human body in unprecedented precision. By combining advanced imaging techniques with cutting-edge research, researchers at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre will be able to:
- Identify cancer earlier: Detect cancer at its earliest stages, when treatment is most effective.
- Personalise treatment: Create unique treatment plans for each individual, adapting approaches for the best effect and to minimise side effects.
- Accelerate drug development: Rapidly develop and test new cancer drugs, bringing life-saving therapies to patients sooner.
This collaboration will drive innovation and ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of cancer research.
“We will quite literally now have access to the best equipment on offer, helping us to radically improve outcomes for people with different types of cancer by developing a new range of scans and targeted treatments,” said Professor Michael Hofman, Chief Investigator, ACRF Centre of Advanced Imaging-Guided Cancer Therapeutics.
“With ACRF’s support, Peter Mac will harness the power of cutting-edge imaging technology and research, shaping the future of cancer care in a way that will transform cancer treatments. We’re poised to significantly improve patient outcomes and shape the future of cancer care worldwide.”
Kerry Strydom, CEO at Australian Cancer Research Foundation said:
“I would like to acknowledge the funding received from our collaborators. National Imaging Facility will contribute $1 million to the purchase of the total-body PET/CT and fund operating costs of $0.75 million as part of this award, under the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Cancer Institute NSW will fund researcher salaries with $100,000 per year for five years and Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation will support technical specialists with $100,000 per year for three years for this project.”
National Imaging Facility CEO, Prof Wojtek Goscinski, said, “The National Imaging Facility will integrate this cutting-edge total-body PET/CT scanner into Australia’s advanced imaging network. This initiative will create a unique national-scale total body PET/CT network for clinical trials, offering a vital asset to advance the development of new cancer treatments.”
NSW Chief Cancer Officer, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, said: “Cancer Institute NSW is proud to support this groundbreaking cancer research project through collaborative funding. Our investment will enable a skilled multidisciplinary NSW team to harness the full potential of the cutting-edge technology housed in the ACRF Centre of Advanced Imaging-Guided Cancer Therapeutics.”
Robin Penty, CEO, Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation said: “The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation is delighted to support the new ACRF Centre of Advanced Imaging-Guided Cancer Therapeutics at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The science behind it builds on research that OCRF has supported previously and offers real potential to improve clinical management of ovarian cancer. We congratulate all involved on this visionary and ambitious project.”
In addition, as part of its annual grant program, ACRF has awarded Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre $3 million to establish the ACRF Centre for Cellular Imaging of Precision Immunotherapy, to be led by Professor Belinda Parker and Professor Ilia Voskoboinik.
This project will allow state-of-the-art imaging of living cells and tissues taken from patients to discover the important mechanisms of response or resistance to immune therapies. This Centre is set to predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatment in people with cancer and to uncover opportunities to enhance response for the up to 80% of patients for whom currently there is no significant therapeutic benefit.
Immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. This study could lead to precision therapy approaches in a range of cancers to enhance patient survival rates.
Kerry Strydom said this funding would help to improve outcomes and the quality of life for countless people diagnosed with cancer.
“For the last 40 years, ACRF has backed the best and boldest research into all types of cancer. Our grants program is focused on initiating transformative cancer research projects such as these and we keenly anticipate significant improvements in cancer care.”
