Research Projects
There are currently three main research projects operating out of the SKMRC:
- Discovery Research Programme
- The WA Melanoma Health Study
- The Kidskin II Study
Discovery Research Programme
The Discovery Research Priming Grants were established as part of the Centre's multidisciplinary strategy with the specific purpose of supporting world class scientific research towards discovery of the causes of melanoma, how melanomas develop, new methods of detection, novel treatments and improved management of the disease.
The Priming Grants consist of two grants, each for one year, and are intended to support promising investigators in establishing their research careers and enable senior investigators to pursue new research that is currently not funded through outside sources.
On Friday 17th June the SKMRC Discovery Grants for 2012 were announced at the annual SKMRC fundraising luncheon. The recipients were:
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Professor Deirdre Coombe
Curtin University |
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Kathy Davern
WAIMR |
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Daniel Dye
Curtin University |
Their project, "MCAM and galectin-3 in melanoma invasion and secondary tumour formation", will investigate the interaction between melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) and galectin-3, which are two proteins associated with invasion and metastasis in melanoma. MCAM is expressed on the cell membrane whereas galectin-3 is secreted by the cell and then binds back down on to the cell surface. When galectin-3 binds on the to cell surface it can change how other proteins are organized and therefore affect how they work. This study will investigate what effect galectin-3 binding to MCAM has on MCAM structure and function and if this increases the ability of melanoma cells to migrate and invade.
We would like to thank all the applicants this year, whose grant applications were all outstanding.
The recipients of previous SKMRC Discovery Research Priming Grants and their respective research projects are:
- 2011: Dr Robin Scaife, awarded $75,000 for his project titled: "High-content screening for compounds that induce novel cell death mechanisms in melanoma cells" in which he will identify new drug leads to target melanoma cells.
- 2011: Dr Keith Giles and Mr Mike Eppis, awarded $75,000 for his project titled: "The role of microRNAs in melanoma growth and invasion" in which they will investigate new approaches to prevent melanoma growth and invasion.
- 2010: Professor Grant Morahan, awarded $100,000 for his project titled: "Search for genes that can prevent UV-induced melanoma in genetically susceptible individuals" in which he will use "The Gene Mine" to identify genes that may protect against melanoma.
- 2010: Dr Louise Winteringham, awarded $50,000 for her project titled: "The role of HLS5 in TGFbeta signalling in melanoma" investigating whether aberrant expression of HLS5 will interfere with TGFbeta signalling and alter normal cell growth contributing to the development of melanoma.
WA Melanoma Health Study
The primary SKMRC resource will be the WA Melanoma Health Study (WAMHS) database. The WAMHS aims to approach all patients in WA that have been diagnosed with malignant melanoma to participate in the study. Blood samples and information on health, lifestyle and family history will be collected from volunteering patients and used to form an extensive population-based database.
This database will enable the study of potential genetic, individual and environmental factors that may contribute to melanoma in adults. The database will be linked to other comprehensive data sets from the WA population, to further enhance investigations into melanoma and its causes.
An improved understanding of why people get melanoma can potentially lead to improved interventions to reduce the impact of melanoma in the community, as well as advances in the detection, treatment and management of the disease.
The WAMHS will be one of the most comprehensive projects of its type anywhere in the world and will ensure that WA is an international leader in skin cancer research.
Kidskin II Study
Another critical resource to be created by the SKMRC team will involve collecting information from WA teenagers.
The Kidskin II Study, which is being coordinated by PhD student Matthew Legge, will investigate the possible genetic causes of moles and how they might relate to melanoma.
This is an area of research that has been given relatively little attention to date. While it's known that having a lot of moles is a strong risk factor for melanoma, it is not yet known what genetic factors contribute to the formation of moles.
Researchers believe if they can uncover what causes moles to develop, it may help their bid to more effectively prevent and treat melanoma.
The Study will also focus on five genes believed to be linked to melanoma.
