New cancer strategy wins Victoria Prize

New cancer strategy wins Victoria Prize

Illuminate newsletter header, Autumn 22
March 2022
Congratulations to Professor Anne Voss and Associate Professor Tim Thomas for being jointly awarded the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation in Life Sciences.

Prof Anne Voss and A/Prof Tim Thomas
Associate Professor Tim Thomas (L) and Professor Anne Voss
receive the prestigious Victoria Prize for developing a new
chemical strategy to treat cancer.

The $50,000 prize honours the duo’s work that led to a new cancer treatment approach that doesn’t trigger the harmful side-effects caused by conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.

Their work uncovered key functions of the MYST family of proteins, which includes oncogenes, and validated the proteins as novel targets for anti-cancer therapeutics.

They then worked with a collaborative team of 52 researchers from the Cancer Therapeutics CRC, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CSIRO and St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research to develop a new type of anti-cancer compound that ‘puts cancer cells into a permanent sleep’.

The collaboration with the Cancer Therapeutics CRC yielded compounds that are now licenced to Pfizer with clinical trials having commenced in late 2020.

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Image of brain cancer scans
Brain cancer trial platform to transform research and treatment
March 2023

A world-first clinical trial platform is set to transform research into new therapies for brain cancer, delivering more targeted, personalised treatment for patients.

L-R Professor John Sike and Dr Darryl McConnell
Distance no barrier for international collaboration seeking new cancer treatments
December 2021

Professor John Silke and Dr Darryl McConnell established an international collaboration to find ground-breaking treatments for cancer.

WEHI donors Pete and Barb
Giving more time to people with multiple myeloma
December 2021

WEHI supporter Pete hopes researchers will discover less debilitating, and more effective treatments for multiple myeloma.

Brain cancer centre leaders
Many minds. One focus.
December 2021

A shared vision to end brain cancer as a terminal illness comes to life with the opening of The Brain Cancer Centre. 

L-R Dr Kesenija Nesic and Professor Clare Scott
Giving more women access to game-changing ovarian cancer drugs
September 2021

Australian women with ovarian cancer could benefit from game-changing cancer treatments called PARP inhibitors, thanks to WEHI researchers.

Blood cancer researcher Dr Ian Majewski
Leading the way in blood cancer research
September 2021

A long-term commitment to discovery and a vision to improve survival for people with blood cancers has kept WEHI at the forefront of blood cancer research and treatments. 

Super Content: 
Three researchers in a corridor
New anti-cancer drugs put cancers to sleep

In a world first, Institute scientists and collaborators have discovered a new type of anti-cancer drug that can put cancer cells into a permanent sleep, without the harmful side-effects caused by conventional cancer therapies.

Three researchers in a laboratory
Gene defends against onset of acute leukaemia

WEHI scientists have revealed that a gene called PHF6 plays a powerful role in protecting against blood cancer. The study showed how a breakdown in the gene’s function could accelerate the development of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL).

Last modified: 
Mon, 06/06/2022 - 8:01pm