Research
Announcement
Cherie (middle) with Professor Grant McArthur (Executive Director of Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre) and Supervisor of inaugural Paul Dear Fellowship recipient (right) Dr Michael KC Lee (Oncologist and Researcher, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
Funds for research aiming to shatter poor pancreatic cancer outcomes
Monday, April 1, 2024
Dare to Hope has announced it will fund world-leading RNA research into revolutionary treatments for pancreatic cancer, through a new postdoctoral fellowship in the name of former AFL Hawthorn premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist Paul Dear.
The inaugural Paul Dear Postdoctoral Fellowship will support the work of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre medical oncologist Dr Michael KC Lee, who aims to harness the revolutionary power of RNA technology to create a ‘seismic shift’ in pancreatic cancer outcomes.
The $360,000, three-year Fellowship has been funded by Dare to Hope, a volunteer-led charitable initiative that raises funds specifically for pancreatic cancer research.
Dare to Hope was founded by Paul and his wife, Cherie Dear, when Paul was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2020, with a vision to progress research into pancreatic cancer treatments. Like so many diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Paul sadly died in July 2022.
More than 3,500 Australians die of pancreatic cancer each year – more than breast cancer and prostate cancer. Only three in 10 people diagnosed will live more than one year. By 2030 it’s predicted to be the second deadliest cancer.
Cherie announced the Fellowship ahead of the Dare to Hope Match between Hawthorn and Geelong at the MCG, where a purple Bay of Hope was unveiled to represent all those who had died of pancreatic cancer in the last 12 months.
“I am delighted that Dare to Hope, through our generous donors and supporters, can help fund this research and bring hope to so many people who face a lack of effective treatments for this terrible, heartbreaking cancer,” Cherie said, surrounded by others touched by the devastating disease.
“Our vision is for Dare to Hope to raise awareness and funds specifically for research that will change outcomes for pancreatic cancer. If we don’t fund research we won’t change the status quo, and that is completely unacceptable to those who have been impacted by pancreatic cancer.
“Michael’s research is extremely exciting as it gives us a real chance to make that breakthrough and bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with this disease each year.”
Dr Lee, working with supervisors Professor Grant McArthur AO, from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and the University of Melbourne’s Professor Sean Grimmond, will use innovative computational research approaches to “unpack” the role of RNA in the biology of pancreatic cancer and create targeted treatments.
Scientists are already using RNA to develop targeted treatments for diseases such as COVID, and some cancer vaccines. RNA creates proteins, and proteins tell cells how to operate – including cancer. Scientists believe the way RNA molecules are spliced together into proteins is key in pancreatic cancers.
Using his specialist skills in computation and genomics, Dr Lee will initially focus on how PRMT5 protein affects the assembly of RNA, which has already been identified as integral to support aggressive tumour growth.
At the same time, he will join clinical trials of drugs that have been developed to target the PRMT5 protein in pancreatic cancer patients, and understand how they work to disrupt the cancer cells.
“This marks a significant stride towards innovative therapeutic approaches,” Dr Lee said.
“Pancreatic cancer hides in the shadows. It has so far remained difficult to treat even in the era of immunotherapy. But RNA research is providing us a new glimpse into how this evasive cancer operates,” he said.
Through this work, he aims to identify patients who would benefit most from this promising treatment, potentially expediting the path to clinical treatment.
“My hope is that we can have a new type of weapon against cancer. I’m hoping to achieve a seismic shift in outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients,” he said.
Professor Grant McArthur AO, a world leader in developing new cancer therapies and head of the molecular oncology lab at the Peter Mac, said Dr Lee’s research takes a really exciting approach to pancreatic cancer research.
“We need fundamental breakthroughs and change in cancer treatment. We need to understand pancreatic cancer in a way that will open up totally new ways of treating it to overcome treatment barriers, because current drugs and a history of using chemotherapy has not produced the goods,” he said.
“Michael’s work is exciting because not only will he undertake discovery research around RNA molecules and how they’re changed in pancreatic cancer, but as a clinician scientist he can lead new clinical trials at the same time,” he said.
“That’s the most exciting thing for me – I don’t want to wait 20 years for the next breakthrough. I want to move things forward fast, which is why we are now building drug treatments and assessing them as discovery research is underway.”
Professor McArthur said they were hoping to have active clinical trials within three years that are providing benefit to patients, and that Dr Lee’s work will enable them to provide target treatments to pancreatic patients.
Michael’s co-supervisor Professor Grimmond is the Director of the University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research and has a long career in pancreatic cancer genomics research.
“Given the stubborn resistance of pancreatic cancer to standard therapies, we badly need to find fresh ways to tackle it. Michael is pioneering a new and compelling avenue of research to tackle this challenging disease,” he said.