Congratulations to our Ovarian cancer team John Turner Professorial Cancer Research Fellow, Professor Nuzhat Ahmed, Dr Elif Kadife, Federation University Australia PhD candidate Ali Raza and Professor George Kannourakis on their research publication this month of “Ovarian Cancer, Cancer Stem Cells and Current Treatment Strategies: A Potential Role of Magmas in the Current Treatment Methods” in a high profile international science journal-Cells. bit.ly/OvariancancerMarch20Cells
This research was completed in collaboration with Dr Mary Short and Professor Paul Jubinsky from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Epithelial ovarian cancer constitutes 90% of ovarian cancers and is the eighth most common cause of cancer-related death in women. The cancer histologically and genetically is very complex causing significant impediments in effectively treating patients. Standard treatment of patients consists of surgery, followed by chemotherapy, which in most cases unfortunately can end in recurrent chemo resistant disease.
This study reviews the different origins of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and a novel new treatment strategy using an inhibitor drug to target a protein called Magmas.
Magmas is present in all cells of the body and is important for cell survival. This research found that Magmas activity increases in Ovarian tumour cancer cells and chemo resistant ovarian cancer, indicating a possible role of Magmas inhibitor drugs being used in conjunction with chemotherapy to improve treatment outcomes for Ovarian cancer patients.
