RESEARCHERS in Ballarat have found what they say could be the "Achilles heel" for making a breakthrough attack on bowel cancer.
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A Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute team, led by PhD candidate Jason Kelly, found a set of immune cells could turn rogue over time to both stimulate the growth of bowel cancer cells and prevent other anti-cancer cells from doing their job.
FECRI professor George Kannourakis said this finding could help unlock a way for a patient's immune system to better fight the cancer cells. Professor Kannourakis said bowel cancer did not respond well to immunology treatment and these changing cells could be a key reason why.
Bowel cancer is Australia's second biggest cancer killer, after lung cancer and kills more Australians than breast cancer, prostate cancer and skin cancers. Deaths from bowel cancer are four per cent higher in Western Victoria than the state average.
Professor Kannourakis said it often took years for benign polyps on the bowel lining to metastasize but this was one stage where this research could make a big difference.
The "misbehaving cells" usual role is to help fight bacterial infections in the gut but the FECRI team found long-term stimulation of these cells caused them to release a chemical promoting bowel cancer cells.
Mr Kelly said this goes against all previous research published on the cells for what is Australia's second biggest cancer killer. When he first made the discovery, Mr Kelly said it took a while to convince his supervisor and FECRI honourary director for the need to "go out on a limb" and take a closer look.
Past research on the cells had predominantly focused on their behaviour for days, whereas Mr Kelly analysed the cells for weeks.
Mr Kelly said the change was a "double whammy" for people with bowel cancer.
Mr Kelly likened the cells' response to getting blisters on your hands from a prolonged activity like gardening. The inflammation helps protect for awhile but later calluses form for a stronger response - only he has found the stronger response for these gut cells is promoting cancer cells.
The discovery has been published and recognised as an outstanding find in international journal Immunology and Cell Biology. Research was a team approach, led by Mr Kelly and his supervisor Professor Stuart Berzins, in collaboration with researchers at University of Melbourne who helped verify the findings.
Mr Kelly said it was a relief to get published, considering the findings contradicted other published research. The FECRI findings were well-received in a presentation Mr Kelly made to an international immunology conference in Bangkok.
This research has the potential to be adapted into similar cells affecting people living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The findings add to the momentum in research outcomes from FECRI being recognised worldwide including immune studies in ovarian cancer, histiocytic disorders, leukaemias and in isolating new viruses.
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