Cell communication could hold key to cancer

The frenzy of communication occurring inside our bodies as we go about our everyday lives could provide a key to cancer treatment.

A team of researchers lead by Professor John Hancock and Professor Rob Parton of The University of Queensland are working to understand how cells communicate and why this communication sometimes goes awry, producing cancer. Their work aims to provide effective new targets for cancer drugs.

Professor Hancock from UQ’s School of Medicine is a world leader in the field of cellular signaling. He has pioneered the study of crucial growth regulators inside cells, known as Ras proteins.

These proteins act as on/off switches in response to the constant growth messages sent to cells. Faults with these switches cause abnormal cell behaviour and contribute to the development of one-third of human cancers, including colon and pancreatic cancer, as well as some leukemia’s.

With the collaboration of cell biology and electron microscopy expert Professor Parton from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the team will examine how the microenvironment and positioning of Ras proteins affect the cell’s response to external growth signals.

“Once we better understand how Ras operates at the cell membrane, we will have more information on how to neutralise faulty signaling and stop cancers growing,” said Professor Hancock.

“The next step is to develop drugs to affect this change and ultimately, new and effective ways to treat cancer sufferers,” he said.

The research project received a boost recently with a $4 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

It was one of 16 program grants awarded in Australia this year and will fund the project for five years. The grant indicates that the team’s focus on cell communication is expected to contribute new knowledge at a leading international level.

Media: For further information, contact Professor Hancock (telephone 3365 5340) or UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 3367, email: communications@uq.edu.au).