SMART STATE FUNDING TO FIGHT LEADING CANCER KILLER
Published Wednesday, 08 August, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
A bacterium found in the Eastern Grey Kangaroo could hold the key to life-saving treatment of up to 90 per cent of cancers.
This discovery will be further tested via a one-off Queensland Government Fellowship awarded to the University of Queensland’s Dr Ming Wei to help develop a ‘trojan horse’ for fighting lung cancer - a designer bacterium that can penetrate tumours and silence cancer genes.
At Parliament today, Premier Peter Beattie announced that Dr Wei was the recipient of the Dr Jian Zhou Smart State Fellowship for Immunology and Cancer Research.
The Fellowship honours the late Dr Jian Zhou, co-founder of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil. It’s worth $750 000 over three years, comprising $300,000 from the Queensland Government, $300 000 matching funding from the University of Queensland and $150,000 from CSL Limited.
“Dr Wei will use the Fellowship funding to design a bacterium that can target and kill lung cancer cells,” Mr Beattie said.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. It’s hard to diagnose in the early stages because it has no noticeable symptoms for early detection.
“Up to 75 per cent of patients are diagnosed too late and conventional therapies, which are unable to penetrate solid tumour mass and are toxic to both healthy cells and tumour cells, have a low success rate.
“Dr Wei is engineering a bacterium that will be able to target and penetrate tumour tissue and release special molecules to stop tumour growth.”
Dr Wei’s research, titled ‘License a bug to kill lung cancer’, is based on manipulating the genes of a special kind of bacteria that’s found in the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, cows, cattle, soils and humans.
Dr Wei said a similar bacterial strain was used to kill brain tumours in a trial of 46 patients about 60 years ago. He said the trial found the bacteria was capable of eliminating the primary tumour but was unable to eradicate all tumours in the body.
Dr Wei said his research would build upon this experience with the development of a genetically modified bacterium that would be capable of targeting both the primary tumour mass as well as secondary tumours.
“Most people with cancer tumours die from the spread of the tumour, not the primary tumour mass itself,” Dr Wei said.
“We’re developing a bacterium, through genetic manipulation, that acts like a guided missile that’s able to find existing tumours, get right inside them and release anti-tumour agents.”
Dr Wei said the bacteria found in the stomach of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo was similar to that found in humans, but contained more protein digesting enzymes.
“It’s an anaerobic bacterium, which means it doesn’t need oxygen to multiply. It can multiply much faster than the tumour cells, effectively starving the tumour of the ‘food’ it needs to grow.”
Dr Wei said his research could eventually apply to up to 90 per cent of known solid tumour cancers, including melanomas.
The University of Queensland will match the Government’s funding with another $300 000 in sponsorship for Dr Ming Wei’s research.
Mr Beattie said the Dr Zhou Fellowship was the first formal recognition by the Government of Dr Zhou’s significant contribution to the development of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil.
“Dr Zhou was a dedicated and tremendously talented scientist whose life was tragically cut short,” Mr Beattie said.
“Prior to his sudden passing in 1999, Dr Jian Zhou headed up the Papillomavirus Virology Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital where he worked with Professor Ian Frazer on the breakthrough cervical cancer vaccine.
“It’s important we acknowledge his work with Professor Frazer in discovering the vaccine and his considerable contribution to Queensland and Australian science.”
The Dr Jian Zhou Smart State Fellowship for Cancer and Immunology Research was made available under Round Two of the Smart State Innovation Funds.
Mr Beattie said the Government’s commitment to innovation in Queensland was a crucial step in developing a knowledge-based economy that would guarantee the State’s future prosperity.
“Investing heavily in the Smart State’s foundations is where it all begins. And this includes building world-class research facilities, attracting and retaining top-quality scientists and stimulating cutting-edge research.”
Media Contacts: Premiers office 3224 4500
Dr Ming Wei, UQ Department of Medicine, Prince Charles Hospital, 3139 4552 or 0422 888 780.
This discovery will be further tested via a one-off Queensland Government Fellowship awarded to the University of Queensland’s Dr Ming Wei to help develop a ‘trojan horse’ for fighting lung cancer - a designer bacterium that can penetrate tumours and silence cancer genes.
At Parliament today, Premier Peter Beattie announced that Dr Wei was the recipient of the Dr Jian Zhou Smart State Fellowship for Immunology and Cancer Research.
The Fellowship honours the late Dr Jian Zhou, co-founder of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil. It’s worth $750 000 over three years, comprising $300,000 from the Queensland Government, $300 000 matching funding from the University of Queensland and $150,000 from CSL Limited.
“Dr Wei will use the Fellowship funding to design a bacterium that can target and kill lung cancer cells,” Mr Beattie said.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. It’s hard to diagnose in the early stages because it has no noticeable symptoms for early detection.
“Up to 75 per cent of patients are diagnosed too late and conventional therapies, which are unable to penetrate solid tumour mass and are toxic to both healthy cells and tumour cells, have a low success rate.
“Dr Wei is engineering a bacterium that will be able to target and penetrate tumour tissue and release special molecules to stop tumour growth.”
Dr Wei’s research, titled ‘License a bug to kill lung cancer’, is based on manipulating the genes of a special kind of bacteria that’s found in the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, cows, cattle, soils and humans.
Dr Wei said a similar bacterial strain was used to kill brain tumours in a trial of 46 patients about 60 years ago. He said the trial found the bacteria was capable of eliminating the primary tumour but was unable to eradicate all tumours in the body.
Dr Wei said his research would build upon this experience with the development of a genetically modified bacterium that would be capable of targeting both the primary tumour mass as well as secondary tumours.
“Most people with cancer tumours die from the spread of the tumour, not the primary tumour mass itself,” Dr Wei said.
“We’re developing a bacterium, through genetic manipulation, that acts like a guided missile that’s able to find existing tumours, get right inside them and release anti-tumour agents.”
Dr Wei said the bacteria found in the stomach of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo was similar to that found in humans, but contained more protein digesting enzymes.
“It’s an anaerobic bacterium, which means it doesn’t need oxygen to multiply. It can multiply much faster than the tumour cells, effectively starving the tumour of the ‘food’ it needs to grow.”
Dr Wei said his research could eventually apply to up to 90 per cent of known solid tumour cancers, including melanomas.
The University of Queensland will match the Government’s funding with another $300 000 in sponsorship for Dr Ming Wei’s research.
Mr Beattie said the Dr Zhou Fellowship was the first formal recognition by the Government of Dr Zhou’s significant contribution to the development of the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil.
“Dr Zhou was a dedicated and tremendously talented scientist whose life was tragically cut short,” Mr Beattie said.
“Prior to his sudden passing in 1999, Dr Jian Zhou headed up the Papillomavirus Virology Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital where he worked with Professor Ian Frazer on the breakthrough cervical cancer vaccine.
“It’s important we acknowledge his work with Professor Frazer in discovering the vaccine and his considerable contribution to Queensland and Australian science.”
The Dr Jian Zhou Smart State Fellowship for Cancer and Immunology Research was made available under Round Two of the Smart State Innovation Funds.
Mr Beattie said the Government’s commitment to innovation in Queensland was a crucial step in developing a knowledge-based economy that would guarantee the State’s future prosperity.
“Investing heavily in the Smart State’s foundations is where it all begins. And this includes building world-class research facilities, attracting and retaining top-quality scientists and stimulating cutting-edge research.”
Media Contacts: Premiers office 3224 4500
Dr Ming Wei, UQ Department of Medicine, Prince Charles Hospital, 3139 4552 or 0422 888 780.