Australian Canadian Prostate Cancer Research Alliance Publication Success
Dr Jeff Holst and his team from Centenary Institute have found how to starve prostate cancer cells—work funded by the PCFA and Movember
The Publication
This successful paper reports that prostate cancer cells coordinate the expression of amino acid transporters - which mediate the uptake of essential amino acids, such as leucine - this means that cancer cells are able to maintain sufficient levels of leucine to continue growth.
By inhibiting the L-type amino acid transporters, tumour cell growth can effectively be diminished.
This study shows that prostate cancer cells respond to the demand for increased amino acids through an integrated pathway, leading to increased amino acid transporter expression and cell growth.
Dr Holst and the Aus Can PCRA
One of the other authors of this publication include the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre – Queensland’s (APCRC – Q), Executive Director, Colleen Nelson, also the Director of the Aus-CanPCRA, whom met Dr Holst in 2008 at a Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) National Conference.
Dr Holst attributes joining the Aus-CanPCRA in June 2009 as a great advantage to his current research.
“Having only recently moved into prostate cancer research in January 2008, I have been impressed by the sense of community in the Aus Can groups,” he said.
“With improved awareness of the skills within each individual research group, I am sure that these collaborations will grow in the coming years, as there is already a great sense of sharing of resources amongst the different research groups.”
Since joining the Aus-CanPCRA, Dr Holst has since spent a week in Professor Nelson’s Vancouver lab, using her vast amounts of microarray data to examine the expression of transporters in prostate cancer, in conjunction with bio-informatician Melanie Lehman.
“This was a critical step in our research as we discovered that the two transporters we were working on were increased in human prostate cancer samples - not just our laboratory cell lines,” he said.
“They appeared to be co-regulated, with one increased in early prostate cancer, and the other after hormone ablation therapy, and in metastasis.”
Dr Holst states that one of the main benefits of being involved in Aus-CanPCRA is found in the network of contacts between Australia and Canada, complementing his group’s research through the utilisation of other professionals’ expertise.
The scientist believes strongly in collaboration to achieve the best results possible.
“It is important that researchers do not operate in isolation, and our work shows the benefit of utilising skills across research groups and across continents,” Dr Holst said.
“Having a structure that provides linkage between research groups through skills information on the Aus-CanPCRA website, and through scientific meetings is critical for this to continue.”
Media coverage
Media release
Starving prostate cancer
Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology
