Lisa Butler presents our work at the EACR meeting in Spain

The first poster shows our work on the enzyme ELOVL5, which causes elongation of lipid molecules in prostate cancer cells. Lipids are molecules that exist in every cell in the body and there are hundreds of different types. Longer lipids help prostate cancer cells to grow, and our work shows that stopping the ELOVL5 enzyme from working helps slow down prostate cancer cells. This has potential implications for development of new treatments.

The second poster highlights our study on lipid profiling in prostate cancer. A technique called mass-spectrometry can show us all the different types of lipids in prostate cancers and how much of each one exists. Our results show that certain lipid types are present at higher levels in human tumours after treatment with the prostate cancer drug enzalutamide (Xtandi), and that other types of lipids are higher in more aggressive cancers. In a world-first study, we also showed that certain lipids are higher in specific areas and cell types of the tumour sample. This work may eventually be developed into a test to diagnose aggressive or treatment-resistant cancers at an earlier stage and get patients on the right treatments faster.

Both of these studies are the result of several years of work by our team and our collaborators in Adelaide, Brisbane and Leuven, Belgium. They are currently being prepared for publication in scientific journals.