The Australian Cancer Research Foundation will provide a $2 million grant to the Australian National University for a new cancer centre.
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The grant, announced in Sydney overnight on Wednesday, will establish the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics at the John Curtin School of Medical Research.
The new department will be run by Ross Hannan, the centenary chairman in cancer research, allowing him and his team to undertake discovery-based research and develop new compounds, drugs and diagnostic approaches for cancer treatment.
"I am deeply honoured by the ACRF grant, which will help us find new ways to treat cancer and to help improve the lives of tens of thousands of Australians who contract the disease each year," Professor Hannan said.
New high-technology equipment will allow screening of Australian natural product collections to rapidly identify bioactive components that may be helpful in developing new cancer treatments.
The centre will use Australia's chemome (whole sets of small molecule natural products) and explore the existing collections for novel lead compounds that can be developed into drugs for cancer therapy.
Professor Hannan said that in contrast to the limited chemical diversity of synthetically developed drugs, the structural diversity available within the Australian chemome was unparalleled.
ACRF chief executive Professor Ian Brown said the research potentially had global significance.
"This project has the potential to give an advantage to Australian cancer research and to develop new treatments that may have worldwide impact," Professor Brown said.
"It's the kind of project that ACRF is known to fund – bold, building upon existing knowledge and opportunities, utilising the insights of Australia's gifted researchers and clinicians and focusing on truly ground-breaking ideas."
ANU vice-chancellor Professor Ian Young said the funding was "wonderful recognition of the work being done by Professor Hannan and his team to help find cures and to improve the daily lives of cancer patients".
"On behalf of the university, I congratulate his team for this achievement, which will help drive cancer research both in Canberra and across Australia," he said.
The Australian Cancer Research Foundation is Australia's leading cancer charity, dedicated to finding cures for cancer by funding infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment for world-class research into a disease that more than 123,000 Australians are diagnosed with each year.
Since 1984, the ACRF has awarded more than $120 million in cancer research grants, which have helped to bring cancer research in Australia to an unprecedented level.
