Cancer Council NSW logo
13 11 20 Information & Support
english
  • englishen
  • arabicar
  • chinesecn
  • greekel
  • italianit
  • macedonianmk
  • vietnamesevi
  • spanishes
Donate now
Menu
  • Cancer Information
    • By cancer type
      • Bowel cancer
      • Blood cancers
      • Breast cancer
      • Lung cancer
      • Melanoma
      • Prostate cancer
      • View 26 other cancers
    • General information
      • What is cancer?
      • When you are first diagnosed
      • Cancer treatment
      • Managing side effects
      • Living well
      • Practical concerns
      • Advanced cancer
    • How can we help you?
      • Carers
      • Family and friends
      • Multilingual cancer information
      • Schools and teachers
    • More resources
      • Understanding Cancer books
      • Podcast: The Thing About Cancer
      • Podcast: The Thing About Advanced Cancer
      • Cancer Information Services
      • Cancer information for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people
  • Get Support
    • By topic
      • Coping with cancer
      • Exercise and cancer
      • Pro Bono Program
      • Financial Assistance Services
      • Transport, accomodation and home help
      • Life after cancer treatment
      • Caring for someone with cancer
      • Work and cancer
      • Webinars
    • By communities
      • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people
      • Multilingual cancer information
      • LGBTI
  • Cancer Prevention
    • By topic
      • Alcohol
      • Cancer in the workplace
      • Diet and exercise
      • Healthy eating after cancer
      • Screening and early detection
      • Smoking
      • Sun protection
    • Programs
      • Sunsmart: Early Childhood, Primary Schools and Out of School Hours
      • Improve your long game
      • Tackling Tobacco
  • Research
    • By Topic
      • Research we conduct
      • Research we fund
      • Information for researchers
      • Community Involvement in Research
    • Quick links
      • Search research by cancer type or topic
      • Research Grant Applications
      • Research Achievements
  • Get Involved
    • How will you get involved
      • Volunteer with us
      • Work with us
      • Fundraise for us
      • Partner with us
      • Campaign with us
      • Shop with us
    • Quick Links
      • Events calendar
      • Request a Cancer Council Talk
      • Share your story
      • Supporter Recognition
  • Donate
    • Donate today
    • Donate monthly
    • Donate in memory
    • Leave a gift in your will
    • More ways to donate
  • Cancer Information
    • By cancer type
      • Bowel cancer
      • Blood cancers
      • Breast cancer
      • Lung cancer
      • Melanoma
      • Prostate cancer
      • View 26 other cancers
    • General information
      • What is cancer?
      • When you are first diagnosed
      • Cancer treatment
      • Managing side effects
      • Living well
      • Practical concerns
      • Advanced cancer
    • How can we help you?
      • Carers
      • Family and friends
      • Multilingual cancer information
      • Schools and teachers
    • More resources
      • Understanding Cancer books
      • Podcast: The Thing About Cancer
      • Podcast: The Thing About Advanced Cancer
      • Cancer Information Services
      • Cancer information for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people
  • Get Support
    • By topic
      • Coping with cancer
      • Exercise and cancer
      • Pro Bono Program
      • Financial Assistance Services
      • Transport, accomodation and home help
      • Life after cancer treatment
      • Caring for someone with cancer
      • Work and cancer
      • Webinars
    • By communities
      • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people
      • Multilingual cancer information
      • LGBTI
  • Cancer Prevention
    • By topic
      • Alcohol
      • Cancer in the workplace
      • Diet and exercise
      • Healthy eating after cancer
      • Screening and early detection
      • Smoking
      • Sun protection
    • Programs
      • Sunsmart: Early Childhood, Primary Schools and Out of School Hours
      • Improve your long game
      • Tackling Tobacco
  • Research
    • By Topic
      • Research we conduct
      • Research we fund
      • Information for researchers
      • Community Involvement in Research
    • Quick links
      • Search research by cancer type or topic
      • Research Grant Applications
      • Research Achievements
  • Get Involved
    • How will you get involved
      • Volunteer with us
      • Work with us
      • Fundraise for us
      • Partner with us
      • Campaign with us
      • Shop with us
    • Quick Links
      • Events calendar
      • Request a Cancer Council Talk
      • Share your story
      • Supporter Recognition
  • Donate
    • Donate today
    • Donate monthly
    • Donate in memory
    • Leave a gift in your will
    • More ways to donate
  • Home
  • Research
  • Preventing relapse from acute myeloid leukaemia

Preventing relapse from acute myeloid leukaemia

Dr Jenny Yingzi Wang Children’s Cancer Institute $359,400 2015-2018

Dr Wang and her team have identified a new treatment target for one of the most lethal forms of leukaemia

Background

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) has extremely poor survival rates and remains one of the most lethal forms of blood cancer. Compared to the encouraging progress being made in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukaemia, improvements in AML treatment have been limited.

AML has particularly high relapse rates, meaning the cancer comes back aggressively after initial treatment and this is usually fatal. AML is able to return because it is protected by a rare group of cells known as leukemic stem cells (LSCs). LSCs are quiescent/slow cycling and self-renewing, which help the cancer cells resist chemotherapy and this drives the redevelopment of AML.

The research

Understanding of AML to date has been limited, but the discovery of LSCs has revealed a new opportunity for treatment. Dr Wang has been investigating how these stem cells could be targeted to prevent AML relapse and drug resistance. Her team has been exploring the specific genes and pathways that control LSCs, and whether these could be exploited to eliminate LSC activity altogether and they have made significant progress towards this goal.

They analysed whole genomes and discovered that a protein known as Gaq is linked to LSCs. By inhibiting Gaq-driven oncogenic pathway, the researchers also found in the laboratory it is possible to block the growth and survival of AML cells. In collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and clinicians, Dr Wang has developed new treatment approaches that target the LSC-specific pathway and has evaluated their effectiveness in inhibiting LSCs and blocking AML growth.

The impact

The novel LSC-specific pathway is showing promising signs of having anti-cancer powers, and this is opening the door to new and curative treatment opportunities for AML. Dr Wang and her team have successfully initiated further pre-clinical studies to continue to refine and test the effectiveness of this new treatment approach for AML. Their research is providing the evidence needed to start a clinical trial for a new, targeted therapy which cures AML and keeps patients cancer-free.

Search research
Cancer research depends on your support
Donate now
Share

Achievements
18 Jun 2020

Addressing the needs of long-term prostate cancer survivors

Find out more
20 May 2020

HPV vaccine linked to decline in premature births

Find out more
Latest news
08 Dec 2020

A better quality of life for prostate cancer survivors

Find out more
  • About us
  • News & Media
  • Cancer Council Shop
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Website terms of use
  • Privacy
  • Privacy Collection Statement
logo

Cancer Council NSW would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work. We would also like to pay respect to the elders past and present and extend that respect to all other Aboriginal people.

Registered Charity (ACNC)

© Cancer Council NSW 2020 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521. ABN 51 116 463 846. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.