QIMR Berghofer scientists could have found the ‘masterswitch’ to kill cancer

Groundbreaking research from Queensland scientists could have unlocked a major new cancer treatment that see palpable tumours completely melt away.

Queensland medical researchers are on the brink of a staggering breakthrough that sees palpable tumours completely melting away, offering hope to sufferers of two of the deadliest types of cancers.

QIMR Berghofer scientists have potentially found the “masterswitch” that turns on the immune system to target disease in patients with triple-negative breast cancer and the most common form of bowel cancer, Micro Satellite Stable (MSS) bowel cancer.

The remarkable research findings could finally provide hope for a new, effective therapy but funding is desperately needed to progress the exciting preclinical results into clinical trials.

Associate Professor Michelle Wykes, group leader of Molecular Immunology at QIMR Berghofer, discovered the potential “masterswitch” that turns on a key type of immune cell called dendritic cells while researching immune responses to malaria.

Associate Professor Michelle Wykes, group leader of Molecular Immunology at QIMR Berghofer.

Dendritic cells act like the generals of the immune system waking up other immune cells such as T cells and telling them what to attack and the weapons to use. However, cancer cells are very good at hiding from the immune system. In preclinical testing, the “masterswitch” antibodies make the cancers visible again, so the dendritic cells can go back to work and ‘organise’ the T cells to kill the cancer.

Associate Professor Wykes said further testing of the “masterswitch” antibodies on cancer patient blood samples produced similar results to the testing in preclinical lab work.

“We’re seeing palpable tumours that completely disappear and melt away. In our preclinical lab models, 80 per cent of both the triple negative breast cancers and colon cancers were cleared and hadn’t grown back after ten months. We’re seeing similar results from our tests on samples taken from patients with colon cancer,” she said.

“These patients urgently need help and I have something that I think could really help them, but we need funding to bring us together with a treatment. We’re appealing to the generosity of Australians this Christmas to help us advance this vital research and bring hope to patients and their loved ones,” Assoc Prof Wykes said.

Brisbane mum Justine Dillon was at peak physical fitness when she was diagnosed with highly aggressive stage four bowel cancer and given 18 months to live.

The pilates and dance instructor is now cancer-free after chemotherapy but has been told the cancer will likely return. She has donated a blood sample to the scientists for testing because this research could help her in the future as well as others in her position.

“The thought of not being there for your child is probably the worst thing. I am right behind this research because it could be life-altering for many people’s lives including other mothers with young children. It could also spare people having to go through chemotherapy which was just awful,” Ms Dillon said.

The researchers are working with clinicians at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital who collected samples from patients for the researchers to test in the laboratory.

As a registered charity, all donations of $2 or more to QIMR Berghofer are tax deductible.

To find out more about the Christmas appeal to help progress this exciting research discovery visit qimrberghofer.edu.au/end-cancer