Melbourne: As over 100,000 new cases of
cancer get diagnosed across Australia annually, hopes for
cures and improved treatments received boost with Victorian
Cancer Council announcing USD 3.2 million grant to expand its
research programme.
Among the grant-winning researchers were a team of
microbiologists from Monash University, who will trial whether
a certain soil bacteria can destroy solid tumours.
Julian Rood, who is leading the work, said the key is
using a new technology that manipulates bacteria.
"The centre of tumours in cancers lack oxygen and what
we are going to trial is the idea that by injecting bacteria
that only grow in the absence of oxygen, these bacteria won`t
grow in normal tissues, but they`ll grow in tumours," he said.
"They produce an enzyme that converts an inactive drug
into an active cancer drug so that conversion will only occur
where the tumour is. It only happens where it`s needed, so we
don`t have toxic effects elsewhere in the body."
Victorian Cancer Council director David Hill said from
115 applications, only 12 were successful.
"The excellent work coming forward is not matched by
the amount of money available to fund them and this is by far
the most competitive year we have seen," he said.
Hill said in most cases the grants went to projects
driven by the investigators themselves.
PTI