Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Breast and prostate cancer patients commonly develop metastatic bone lesions which are severely debilitating. Bone tumours result in pain, hypercalcemia, pathologic fracture and nerve compression syndromes, all of which significantly affect patient quality of life, often for many years. Once the cancer has metastasised, treatment is often only palliative for no cure is currently available. Current treatments for bone metastasis are limited, and only offer up to 50% reduction in these skeletal effects with current antiresorptive medication. Breast-derived bone metastasis is characterised by a reduction in bone mass (osteolytic lesions) in contrast to most prostate-derived bone metastases which are characterised by an increase in bone mass (mixed or osteoblastic lesions). Despite their clinical significance the mechanisms that lead to the development of metastatic bone lesions have not been clearly defined.
The molecular pathways controlling bone metastatic development are complex and finding a single gene responsible for lesion development is highly unlikely. Pharmaceutical interventions should target the intrinsic bone cells rather than molecular factors in order to achieve more significant effects in an attempt to improve patient quality of life. This project aims to use animal models of breast and/or prostate cancer bone metastasis to measure the effect of various pharmaceutical interventions on osteolytic or osteoblastic lesion development.
Hypothesis: Cancer-induced changes in bone architecture and cellular activity of osteoclasts and/or osteoblasts will be minimised or prevented following treatment with appropriate pharmaceutical intervention.
Aim 1: Test the efficacy of initiating drug treatment prior to tumour colonisation in the tibia of mice on tumour burden and bone quality
Aim 2: Test the efficacy of initiating drug treatment after tumour colonisation in the tibia of mice on tumour burden and bone quality
Aim 3: Propose new treatment regimes for minimising effects of bone metastasis
Methods and techniques that will be developed in the course of this project:
- Small animal surgery
- Cell culture
- Radiography including micro-computerised tomography
- Bone histomorphometry and tissue histology
- Study level
- PhD
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Laura Gregory
Professor Judith Clements
