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Prostate Cancer Research Centre
In late 2005, a new laboratory dedicated to basic and translational research aimed at improving outcomes for prostate cancer patients was established within the Department of Surgery's research facilities in the Clinical Sciences Building.
This facility capitalises on the drug discovery and development work performed in the department in the preceding years by Drs Corcoran and Hovens and Professor Costello that led to the filing of international patents and the formation of the drug development company Velacor Therapeutics. This spin-off company is taking the advanced lead compound, Se015, through phase I and II clinical trials in castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients.
Over the past two years the centre has worked closely with the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre at Epworth Richmond to delve into the genetic changes that underlie prostate cancer. Work has commenced on the analysis of human tumour samples to develop molecular profiles of different stages and types of the disease in the hope that clinically useful biomarkers of prostate cancer aggression may be identified.
Current research projects
Prostate Cancer Research Centre
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Se015 - a drug candidate for combination therapy of prostate cancer.
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Synergistic studies of Se015 in combination with androgen deprivation therapy in advanced pre-clinical models of androgen-dependent prostate cancer.
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Synergistic studies of Se015 in combination with docetaxel in advanced pre-clinical models of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
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Se015 as a radiosensitisingagent in advanced pre-clinical models of androgen-dependent and hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
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Dose optimisation studies of Se015 in orthotopic models of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
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Optimisation of cellular signalling pathway readouts for identification of advanced lead compounds for prostate cancer drug development.
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Circulating endothelial cells as prognostic markers of prostate cancer and treatment response in orthotopic models of androgendependent and hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
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Evaluation of Aurora-A kinase, retinoblastoma, phosphor-Akt and p53 expression status as prognostic markers of bladder cancer progression in archived paraffin-embedded tissue.
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Circulating endothelial cells as prognostic markers of prostate cancer and treatment response in serum and plasma of prostate cancer patients.
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Expression status of VEGFR1 positive bone marrow-derived cells in prostate cancer and lymph node as prognostic markers of metastatic spread in prostate cancer patients.
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Neo-adjuvant study of androgen-deprivation therapy and chemotherapy in hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients with concurrent determination of gene expression profiles in prostate cancer specimens before and after neoadjuvant treatment.
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Comparison of inflammatory biomarker levels following open radical and robotic radical prostatectomy in serum and plasma.
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Prospective comparison of the immunohistological response following robotic-assisted and open retropubic prostatectomy for organ-confined prostate carcinoma.
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Correlation between plasma levels of endothelial cells and prostate cancer prognostic factors.
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Integrative genomics in prostate cancer: Defining the lethal phenotype
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Development of an online psychological intervention for men with prostate cancer
Urology Unit
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Prognostic significance of Aurora, pRb, p53 and Akt in bladder cancer.
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Use of biosensors in the detection of bladder cancer.
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Investigation of the use of Ca-channel blockers in the treatment of prostate cancer.
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A contemporary series of radical prostatectomies in the PSA era by a single surgeon.
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Development and evaluation of a cognitively oriented group program for prostate cancer patients.
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A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Abiraterone Acetate (CB7630) Plus Prednisolone in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Who Have Failed Docetaxel-Based Chemotherapy (Protocol Number: COU-AA-301)
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A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Abiraterone Acetate (CB7630) Plus Prednisone in Asymptomatic or Mildly Symptomatic Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (COU-AA-302)
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Development of an online psychological intervention for men with prostate cancer
Funding sources
Cybec Foundation
Melbourne Urology Trust (now Prostate Cancer Research Fund)
Melbourne Ventures
Cougar Pharmaceuticals
NHMRC
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Timbercorp
Urogene
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
BeyondBlue
Research Staff
Prostate Cancer Research Centre
Professor Anthony J Costello - Director of Urology/Principal Investigator
A/Prof Chris Hovens - Director, Prostate Cancer Research Centre
Dr Niall Corcoran - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
A/Prof Declan Murphy – Director of Transitional Research
Dr Edwin Wong - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Dr Joanne Chua - Research Assistant
Ms Anne Nguyen - Research Assistant
Ms Xiaowen Chin - Research Assistant
Ms Patricia Bugeja – Urology Nurse Consultant/Research Nurse
Ms Helen Crowe – Urology Nurse Practitioner/Research Nurse
Dr Addie Wootten – Clinical Psychologist
Urology Unit
Professor Anthony J Costello - Director of Urology/Principal Investigator
A/Prof Declan G Murphy – Urology Consultant
Mr Laurence Harewood - Urology Consultant
Mr Justin Peters - Urology Consultant
Mr Dan Moon - Urology Consultant
Dr Michael Wishaw – Principal Investigator
Mr Paul Anderson – Consultant urologist/sub investigator
Ms Patricia Bugeja – Urology Nurse Consultant/Research Nurse
Ms Lidia Veca – Research Nurse
Ms Liz Hayes - Research Nurse
Dr Addie Wootten – Clinical Psychologist
Dr Heather Siddons – Clinical Psychologist
Ms Katherine Chisholm – Provisional Psychologist
Postgraduate students
Dr Matthew Hong, PhD, "Integrative genomics in prostate cancer: Defining the lethal phenotype", University of Melbourne 2010-
Dr Nikhil Sapre, PhD, "Integrative genomics in bladder cancer", University of Melbourne 2011-
Honours Students
Ms Emma Moore, BSc (Hons), "Differential gene expression profiles between different Gleason grades of prostate cancer", University of Melbourne 2011
Ms Anjali Gaur, BSc (Hons), "Elucidating the functional role of MicroRNA-202 in prostate cancer", University of Melbourne 2011
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