The natural history of skin cancer formation: from normal skin to cancer

Grantee: Associate Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani, University of Queensland

Amount: AUD 268,239

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2015

Geography: Australia

Associate Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani from The University of Queensland leads a team that has hypothesized that upon UV irradiation and acquisitions of mutations, only epidermal cells that can rapidly proliferate are likely to give rise to pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions.

This hypothesis will be tested using multicolour lineage tracing to follow simultaneously multiple epidermal clones that will further be microdissected to establish their mutational profile.  This study has the potential to fundamentally change our understanding of field cancerisation, cell of origin of squamous cell cancer establishing potentially new therapeutic targets.

Preventing Basal Cell Carcinoma formation by targeting the tumor environment

Grantee: Associate Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani, University of Queensland

Amount: AUD 415,386

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2015

Geography: Australia

In this study, Associate Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani of The University of Queensland in Australia proposes to better characterise the molecular nature of the factors provided by fibroblasts to support basal cell carcinoma (BCC) growth in vivo in order to find new targets for therapies that would prevent BCC development. He and his team will also show proof of principle demonstrating that targeting this process can actually prevent BCC development.

These findings have the potential to translate in effective prevention strategies, allowing field therapy of normal looking skin to avoid the development of new BCCs. Such finding will have strong health benefits in terms of morbidity associated with multiple surgeries, years of healthy life enjoyed by individuals and finally in terms of economic cost.