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RESEARCH OVERVIEW

We are interested in the cancer microenvironment or tumour stroma which consists of various cell types, including immune cells and blood vessels, and supports cancer growth. Our research program aims to understand how stromal cells are remodelled, and the extent to which stromal networks regulate cancer progression. We have shown that the tumour microenvironment is highly dynamic and can be re-programmed or remodelled to enhance immune cell uptake and overall response to immunotherapy. Furthermore, we have developed precision tools to specifically target abnormal stromal features to disrupt and re-program signalling networks between multiple stromal components and to break the vicious cycle of disease progression and relapse.

Utilising a suite of preclinical cancer models which includes genetically modified mouse models of pancreatic cancers, orthotopic cancer models of breast, lung, brain and melanoma, and human cancer specimens our goal is to develop new drugs that can increase the survival rate and quality of life of cancer patients.

Professor Ruth Ganss

Professor Ruth Ganss

Cancer Microenvironment

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LATEST NEWS

Hope for new drug to fight liver cancer

Primary liver cancer is a deadly illness and one of the fastest growing cancer types in the world. Now researchers from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research have developed a new treatment to hopefully turn the tide on liver cancer. Liver cancer is a major health threat in Australia.…

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New discovery for treatment of primary liver cancer shows promise

A study using preclinical models has discovered a drug combination with the potential to treat one of the most fatal and globally widespread cancers, a type of primary liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The collaborative research team found the drug combination reverses the symptoms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and,…

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close-up picture of woman's face depicting aging young on left side old and wrinkled on right side

Researchers find link to anti-ageing element

Researchers discover that increasing a naturally occurring chemical slows ageing process Ageing is inevitable as systemic changes occur in our bodies, but the question that puzzled researchers at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research was: Were some of those changes the cause of ageing or the effect, and can…

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