Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
Ronald Kay Fellowship 2020
What is the problem and who is affected?
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of breast cancer, and there are currently no targeted treatments for it. Chemotherapy is the only option, which comes with many unpleasant side effects.
What is this research hoping to achieve?
Dr Lisa Pilkington, a senior research fellow at the University of Auckland, is the recipient of our 2020 Ronald Kay Science Fellowship. She has discovered an enzyme – PC-PLC – that promotes the growth of TNBC, as well as a drug that can act as a PC-PLC blocker to prevent TNBC cells from growing. The trouble is, the blocker degrades within seconds, so it never reaches its target. This new research focusses on altering the structure of the blocker so that it can survive in the body long enough to kill TNBC cells. You could say the PC-PLC enzyme is a lock, now work is being done to find the key to unlock an effective treatment for TNBC.
-
DecemberResearch Grant
Helena McAlpine Young Women's Breast Cancer Study
-
SeptemberResearch Grant
Investigating the link between breast density and interval cancers
-
AugustMedical Equipment
Ultrasound machine
-
JuneResearch Grant
Ronald Kay Fellowship 2020
-
JanuaryResearch Grant
Characterization of gene-modified breast cancer cells for MARS imaging
-
JanuaryResearch Grant
Management of metastatic and locally advanced breast cancer in Christchurch