Study level
- Master of Philosophy
- Honours
Faculty/School
Faculty of Health
Topic status
We're looking for students to study this topic.
Supervisors
- Position
- Professor
- Division / Faculty
- Faculty of Health
External supervisors
- Assoc Prof Jason Lee (QIMR)
Overview
In solid tumours, hypoxia occurs as a result of limitation on oxygen diffusion in avascular primary tumours or their metastases. Persistent hypoxia, significantly reduces the efficacy of radiation and chemotherapy and lead to poor outcomes. This is mainly due to increase in pro-survival genes that suppress apoptosis, enhance tumour angiogenesis, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasiveness and metastasis. Much of tumour hypoxia research has been centred on examining the transcriptional targets of hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs).
Hypothesis
Epigenetic changes mediate the effect of hypoxia and non-coding RNAs play a significant role in promoting metastasis and therapy resistance. The aims of this project are as follows:
- To determine changes in non-coding RNA expression in normoxic and hypoxic cancer cells.
- To determine the role non-coding RNAs play in mediating metastasis.
- To determine the role non-coding RNAs play in therapy resistance.
Outcomes
We anticipate that this project would contribute toward the understanding of how epigenetic changes impact cancer metastasis and therapy resistance. Successful outcome of this project will lead to determining a particular set of non-coding RNAs as a therapeutic target to overcome hypoxia-mediated metastasis and therapy resistance.
Required skills and experience
Enthusiastic and engaged student who has a genuine interest in research and considering a PhD in the future.
Keywords
Contact
Jason.Lee@qimrberghofer.edu.au
+07 3845 3951
https://www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/lab/epigenetics-disease-group/