News: androgen receptor
Latest news in breast cancer trials meeting
Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) held their 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Melbourne on July 27-30.
In the Translational Research session at this meeting, Prof Wayne Tilley, Director of the Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories (DRMCRL) presented work on "Understanding the role of the androgen receptor" as targeting the androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer has been of intense clinical interest over the past two decades.
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DRMCRL research presented at the 3rd Nuclear Receptors Conference, 4 -7 May 2022
DRMCRL Director, Prof Wayne Tilley and Prof Charlotte Bevan (Imperial College London) co-chaired the 3rd Nuclear Receptor meeting, which returned to a face to face format in Cancun, Mexico, after being postponed for the last two years.
[Read more about DRMCRL research presented at the 3rd Nuclear Receptors Conference, 4 -7 May 2022]
Prof Tilley contributes to the US Prostate Cancer Foundation Retreat: State of Science Report.
Research from Prof Tilley’s laboratory on “Nuclear receptor biology in castration resistant prostate cancer” was presented at the 28th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) Scientific Retreat, Carlsbad, USA in November, 2021. In a session that focused on nuclear receptor biology, including the role of GR in CRPC and its potential as a therapeutic target, as well as the impact of AR agonism in prostate cancer and ER-positive breast cancer, Prof Tilley presented data that suggested a role for potent AR agonists and that warranted further study into the potential for selective AR modulators in the treatment of breast and prostate cancer. His paper formed part of the PCF’s State of Science Report. In addition, the PCF Retreat Scientific Meeting Report will be published in the scientific journal, The Prostate.
DRMCRL Visiting Professor Iggo publishes on breast cancer organoid and intraductal models
Professor Richard Iggo, Professor of Cell Biology, University of Bordeaux / Visiting Professor, University of Adelaide has published the methodology, currently utilised at the DRMCRL, for creating breast cancer models by transducing tumor cells and normal mammary epithelial cells with lentiviral vectors in organoid culture and injecting them into the mammary ducts of mice. This article entitled "Modeling breast cancer in organoid and intraductal models" was published in Mammary Stem Cells, a Methods in Molecular Biology book series, and describes the protocols to create estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and androgen receptor positive (AR+) breast cancer models by combining organoid culture with mammary intraductal injection. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2193-6_13
Another DRMCRL student awarded PhD degree – Congratulations Reza Alizadeh Ghodsi!
Mohammadreza (Reza), our final student from the “2017 PhD quartet”, has been awarded a doctoral degree for his work on "Extreme activation of androgen receptor for prostate cancer therapy". Reza will continue prostate cancer research as a postdoc at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre in Seattle, USA, in the laboratory of Dr Peter Nelson whose interests are in exploiting cancer genomics and the tumor microenvironment to guide oncology treatment. All the best and well done Reza!
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Associate Professor Theresa Hickey publishes paper in Nature Medicine on a suppression role for AR in breast cancer
Androgen receptor (AR)-directed therapies are controversial in (ER)-α-positive breast cancer treatment. Associate Professor Hickey et al have published a paper entitled “The androgen receptor is a tumor suppressor in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer” that demonstrates AR activation, not suppression, exerts potent anti-tumor activity in multiple disease contexts, including resistance to standard-of-care ER and CDK4/6 inhibitors. Notably, AR agonists combined with standard-of-care agents enhanced therapeutic responses. These findings provide unambiguous evidence that AR has a tumor suppressor role in ER-positive breast cancer and support AR agonism as the optimal AR-directed treatment strategy, revealing a rational therapeutic opportunity.
PRESS RELEASE! New discovery in breast cancer treatment by researchers at the University of Adelaide and the Garvan Institute for Medical Research
Associate Professor Theresa Hickey, Professor Wayne Tilley (University of Adelaide) and Associate Professor Elgene Lim (Garvan Institute) have found new evidence about the positive role of androgens in breast cancer treatment with immediate implications for women with estrogen receptor-driven metastatic disease. Read the Press Release and watch a video on how androgen receptor activation can suppress tumour activity.
Dr Iza Denis presents at the ESA 2019 Conference
Dr Denis was invited to present her research work at the combined Endocrine Society of Australia (ESA) and Society for Reproductive Biology Annual Meeting in Sydney, 18-21 August. Iza’s presentation entitled “Androgen Receptor: A Soloist in a Breast Cancer Symphony” was very well received.
[Read more about Dr Iza Denis presents at the ESA 2019 Conference]
Dr Theresa Hickey presents at the 7th International PacRim Meeting
Dr Theresa Hickey spoke in the session “Estrogen & androgen receptors: still key drivers?" at the 7th PacRim Breast & Prostate International Cancer Meeting, Barossa Valley, SA, Australia. March 17, 2019. Her talk’s title was "When is the androgen receptor oncogenic in breast cancer?"
[Read more about Dr Theresa Hickey presents at the 7th International PacRim Meeting]
Dr Theresa Hickey speaks at the inaugural Adelaide Cancer Research Symposium, BioMed City
Dr Theresa Hickey gave a presentation entitled "Targeting the androgen receptor in ER+ breast cancer" at the inaugural Adelaide Cancer Research Symposium, AHMS Building, BioMed City Precinct, Adelaide, SA, Australia. March 15, 2019.