Cancer Therapies and Biology Laboratory

Our laboratory focuses on developing new treatments to improve the survival of patients with brain and other rare cancers. We test novel drugs for these cancers in the lab, from within our programs and from collaborators, with a focus on getting them rapidly into the clinic. We also strive to understand the biology of these tumours better, guided by patient’s outcomes and samples, to better understand the biology, identifying vulnerabilities, then developing drugs against such tumour specific targets.

Our Research Focus

Identifying and developing novel drugs for brain cancer and other rare cancers

We will test promising drugs, from our own program or collaborators/industry, with a focus on brain cancer patients, using brain specific models and techniques with a view to rapid translation in to the clinic.

Expanding our knowledge of brain tumour biology with focus on identifying promising new targets for treatment and associated biomarkers

We have, and continue to grow, our clinical database, biobank of tissues and clinical trial specimens to drive impactful translational sub-studies that will allow novel insights into tumour biology that in turn lead to improved treatments and outcomes for brain cancer patients.

Leading clinical trials for brain cancer and other rare cancer patients, thereby providing treatment options and improve outcomes for these patients and their family

We will continue to create, fund and lead innovative clinical trials that focus on providing treatments for patients where they need it most, particularly where there is unmet clinical need. We will move the most promising drugs into clinic rapidly to maximise patient access and ensure that our trials collect the necessary specimens to ensure that we increase human knowledge of disease biology.

Recent Publications

Fast facts

What are the key drug classes that we are working on?

We have experience and on-going interest in drugs targeting the ErbB family as well as the Eph family and other brain tumour microenvironment targets. We have taken drugs against these targets into the clinic, some all the way to Phase 3 clinical trials. We also have a strong interest in novel antibodies and antibody drug conjugates as therapeutic classes for cancer patients.

What are key resources in our laboratory?

We have an extensive biobank including organoids derived from brain tumours, with detailed clinical annotation. In addition, we have samples from clinical trials that we and our collaborators have led, representing an invaluable resource for translational studies into brain tumour biology and associated biomarkers.

What clinical impact do we focus on from our work?

We are focused on taking promising drugs into the clinic for cancer patients, particularly brain cancer patients. These have included multiple therapeutic agents targeting the ErbB and Eph family members. We have also led novel national and international platform trials for brain cancer patients using drugs from our own programs and from industry collaborators.

Nature

Longitudinal molecular trajectories of diffuse glioma in adults

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1775-1

December 2019

View abstract
Neuro-Oncology Advances

Tumor volumes as a predictor of response to the anti-EGFR antibody drug conjugate depatuxizumab mafadotin

DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab102

September 2021

View abstract
BMJ Open

Low & Anaplastic Grade Glioma Umbrella Study of MOlecular Guided TherapieS (LUMOS-2)

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087922

February 2025

View abstract

Our team

  • Prof Hui Gan – Head, Cancer Therapies and Biology Laboratory
  • Nima Etemadi – Senior Research Scientist
  • Diana Cao – Research Scientist
  • Kerryn Westcott – Scientific Project Officer
  • Sid Menon – PhD Student
  • Ortis Estacio – PhD Student

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