QIMR03 Metabolism of endometrial cancer

Overview

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecologic malignancy in developed countries. While often caught early due to symptomatic bleeding, advanced or recurrent endometrial cancers have limited treatment options and poor outcomes. In contrast with many cancers, the incidence and mortality of endometrial cancer is steadily increasing, largely due to increasing rates of obesity, the strongest risk factor for this disease. However, the specific metabolic alterations, their functional roles in tumour progression, and potential as druggable targets remain poorly characterised. Endometrial cancers have a high degree of heterogeneity that is hard to mimic in 2D cell culture system. In our laboratory, we use endometrial organoids as a 3D model that recapitulate the tumour heterogeneity. Organoids can be derived from normal, pre-neoplastic and cancer endometrial tissue and they preserve genomic and phenotypic traits from the tissue of origin, making them a powerful system for disease modelling and therapeutic screening. Overall Aim: To obtain a better understanding of the metabolism of endometrial cancer in the case of association with patients with high-BMI.

Research engagement

Lab-based work

Research activities

Cell culture techniques, molecular biology assays, imaging

Outcomes

Approaches: Employing endometrial organoids from healthy and cancer patients as a model to study the effects of altered metabolism on the endometrial epithelium. To use molecular biology and imaging techniques to assess the effects of altered metabolism on healthy and cancer endometrial organoids.

Skills and experience

Students that have completed molecular biology/biochemistry subjects.

Start date

1 November, 2024

End date

21 February, 2025

Location

QIMR Berghofer MRI, 300 Herston Road, Herston

Keywords

• uterine cancer
• organoids
• molecular biology

Contact

A/Prof Tracy O'Mara,  07 3362 0389, Tracy.OMara@qimrberghofer.edu.au