The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) proudly announces that one of its projects has been awarded funding through the 2024 Cancer Council WA Research Project Grant scheme.

This project, led by early career researcher Dr Kofi Stevens, explores using existing copper-binding drugs to enhance the efficacy of mesothelioma therapy.

Dr Stevens, along with NCARD researchers Dr Jonathan Chee and Dr Scott Fisher, are joining forces with colleagues A/Prof Orazio Vittorio from the Children’s Cancer Institute NSW and a team from Curtin University, including Prof Delia Nelson, Dr Ross Graham, and Dr Andrew Crowe.

The project also benefits from the expertise of medical oncologist Dr Melvin Chin from NCARD and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Mesothelioma is a significant health issue in Australia. With an average life expectancy of 12 to 18 months from diagnosis, the outlook remains bleak for Australians diagnosed with this lethal form of cancer— it has no cure, and current treatment is focused on mitigating symptoms or controlling the disease’s progression.

Western Australia, in particular, has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of mesothelioma.

Copper chelation has recently piqued the interest of cancer researchers, who have uncovered abnormally high levels of copper in cancer cells. Associate Professor Vittorio’s pioneering research in brain cancer found that copper levels can affect how cancer cells evade the immune system and that drugs removing copper can bolster the immune system’s ability to detect and attack cancer cells. Copper-binding drugs are low in toxicity, cost-effective, and approved for other uses.

This new project investigates how these drugs can improve treatment outcomes in mesothelioma. Highly coveted and only awarded to a handful of projects each year, the $120,000 grant provided by Cancer Council WA will support this emerging research area through 2024.

We congratulate Dr Stevens and his team on their achievement and thank Cancer Councer WA for supporting our innovative cancer research, which aims to improve outcomes for mesothelioma patients.

NCARD is part of the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Institute for Respiratory Health (IRH).