Centre for Urological Research, Monash University Prostate Cancer BioResource Consortium

Monash Institute of Reproductive development...

Chief Investigators

Professor Gail Risbridger – Centre Head ¹

Associate Professor Mark Frydenberg - Clinical Director²

Dr Caroline Dowling – Urologist²

Mr Laurence Harewood – Urologist³

Mr Jeremy Goad – Urologist⁴

Professor John Mills - Director⁵

Associate Professor John Pedersen – Pathologist⁵

Dr Tim Nottle – Pathologist⁵

Dr. Renea Taylor (nee Jarred) – Research Fellow¹

Dr. Stephen McPherson – Research Fellow¹

Dr. Elspeth Gold – Research Fellow¹

Dr. Brindi Niranjan – Research Fellow¹

Dr. Preetika Balanathan – Research Fellow¹

Dr. Stuart Ellem – Research Fellow¹

Ms Courtney Bamford - APCC BioResource Node Coordinator¹

Affiliations

1. Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University

2. Department of Urology, Monash Medical Centre

3. Epworth Hospital

4. St Vincent’s and Mercy Private Hospital

5. TissuPath histopathology laboratory

Research Activity

The Centre for Urological Research is a group of scientists and clinical fellows working together to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents for prostate cancer. The Centre is located at Monash Medical Centre, adjacent to the hospital and Department of Urology, which facilitates collaboration between Urology staff and research scientists. 

The group has several main research areas including:

1. Understanding the role of growth factors in regulating prostate development and disease, specifically the inhibin and activin family of ligands.

2. Exploring the impact of early events on late life disease in relation to prostate disease; in particular the role of endocrine disruptor chemicals and possible long term effects on the prostate.

3. Investigation of the hormonal regulation of prostate diseases including prostate enlargement (BPH) and prostate cancer.

4. Development of prostate cancer diagnostic or prognostic tools to be applied in the clinic.

5. Identifying adult prostate stem cells in the prostate as potential therapeutic targets for prostate cancer therapeutics.

Research Areas of Expertise:

• Prostate development, prostate cancer, estrogen action, steroid receptors, growth factors (including activin & inhibin), aromatase action, potential diagnostic or prognostic agents for prostate cancer.     

• Laboratory areas of expertise - animal models, imaging and stereology, histology & pathology, tissue recombination and cell culture, laser capture microdissection, endocrine assays, pre-clinical drug testing, clinical studies.

Major Prostate Cancer Related Grants (last 5 years)

• Control of Reproductive Processes. 2001-2004, $8,475,000 NH&MRC Programme Grant; de Kretser D, Risbridger GP, Hedger M, Hearn M, Jenkin G, Loveland KL, Morrison J, O’Bryan M.

• Metabolic effects of selective estrogen receptor modulators. 2002, $250,000 Schering AG Berlin; Risbridger GP, Simpson E.

• Validation of inhibin as a marker for prostate disease. 2002-2003, $600,000 Prostate Diagnostics (PDPL); Risbridger GP.

• Role of estrogens in prostate malignancy. 2002-2004, $140,000 Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria; Risbridger GP.

• Stem cells in prostate. 2003 – 2005, 375,000 Prostate Cancer Research Idea Award, USA Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (DOD); Risbridger GP, Trounson A.

• Role of Estrogen in prostate disease. 2002-2004, $210,000, Dept Veterans Affairs; Risbridger GP.

• Prostate Cancer Research Postdoctoral Award. 2004-2005, $US 140,000, USA Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (DOD) PC030097; Jarred R, Risbridger GP.

• Predictive value of inhibin as a marker for prostate cancer. 2004-2005, $150,534, Prostate Diagnostics Pty Ltd; Risbridger GP.

• Melbourne Male Network. 2004-5/6, 900,000 Euros, Schering AG; Risbridger GP, de Kretser D, Simpson ER, McLachlan R, O’Bryan M.

• Australian Prostate Cancer Collaboration (APCC) BioResource. 2004-2009, $2.1million. NHMRC Enabling Grant, Clements JA, Sutherland RL, Risbridger GP, Tilley WD.

• Development of a blood test for life threatening prostate cancer. 2005-2006, $144,650 NH&MRC Development Grant, Risbridger GP.

• Control of Reproductive Processes. 2005-2009, $7,725,375 NH&MRC Program Grant, de Kretser D, Risbridger GP, Hedger M, Hearn M, Jenkin G, Loveland KL, O’Bryan M, Wallace E.

• Early origins of prostate cancer. 2006-2009, $203,000 NH&MRC New Investigator Award McPherson S, Risbridger GP.

• Is hormonal induction of prostate carcinogenesis due to declining androgens in late life and/or increased estrogen in early life? 2006-2008,  $US219,334 USA Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (DOD) Grant ID New Investigator Award, McPherson S, Risbridger GP.

• Early origins of prostate cancer. 2006-2008, $203,000 Cancer Council Victoria Project Grant, Risbridger GP, McPherson S.

Selected Prostate Cancer Related Publications (last 5 years)

• Schmitt JF, Millar DS, Pedersen JS, Clark SL, Venter DJ, Frydenberg M, Molloy PL and Risbridger GP. Hypermethylation of the inhibin a-subunit gene in prostate carcinoma. Molecular Endocrinology 16 (2) 213-220, 2002.

• Fisher JL, Schmitt JF, Howard, ML, Mackie PS, Choong PFM, Risbridger GP.  An in vivo model of prostate carcinoma growth and invasion in bone. Cell and Tissue Research, 307:337-345, 2002.

• Bianco JJ, Handelsman DJ, Pedersen JS, Risbridger GP. Direct response of the murine prostate gland and seminal vesicles to estradiol. Endocrinology, 2002 143: 4922-4933, 2002.

• Jarred RA, Keikha M, Dowling C, McPherson SJ, Clare AM, Husband AJ, Pedersen JS, Frydenberg M, Risbridger GP. Induction of apoptosis in low grade human prostate carcinoma by red clover-derived dietary isoflavones. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 11(12):1689-96, 2002.

• Jarred RA, McPherson SJ, Jones MEE, Simpson ER, Risbridger GP. Anti-androgenic action by red clover-derived dietary isoflavones reduces non-malignant prostate enlargement in aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice. The Prostate, 56 (1): 54-64, 2003.

• Mellor SL, Ball EMA, O’Connor AE, Ethier J-F, Cranfield M, Schmitt JF, Phillips DJ, Groome NP, Risbridger GP. Activin b_c subunit heterodimers provide a new mechanism for regulating activin levels in the prostate. Endocrinology, 144(10):4410-9, 2003.

• Risbridger GP, Shibata A, Ferguson KL, Stamey TA, McNeal JE, Peehl DM. Elevated expression of inhibin α in prostate cancer. Journal of Urology. 171, 192-196, 2004.

• Balanathan P, Ball EMA, Wang H, Harris SE, Shelling AN, Risbridger GP. pigenetic regulation of Inhibin alpha subunit gene in prostate cancer cell lines. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. 32 (1): 55-67, 2004.

• Ellem S, Schmitt J, Pedersen J, Frydenberg M, Risbridger G. Local aromatase expression in human prostate is altered in malignancy. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 89(5):2434-41, 2004.

• Ilic D, Risbridger G, Green S. Searching the internet for information on prostate cancer screening: an assessment of quality. Urology (64) 1: 112-116, 2004.

• Risbridger G, Ball E, Wang H, Mellor S, Peehl D. Re-evaluation of inhibin α subunit as a tumour suppressor in prostate cancer. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 225, 73–76, 2004.

• Cunha GR, Ricke W, Thomson A, Marker PC, Risbridger GP, Hayward S, Wang YZ, Donjacour AA, Kurita T.  Hormonal, cellular and molecular regulation of normal and neoplastic prostatic development. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 92:221:236, 2004.

• Ball, EMA, Mellor SL, Risbridger GP. Cancer progression: is inhibin α from Venus or Mars? Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews. 15, 5, 291-296, 2004.

• Almahbobi G, Hedwards, S, Fricout G, Jeulin D, Bertram JF, Risbridger GP. Computer-based detection of early changes to branching morphogenesis reveals multiple mechanisms of prostate enlargement. Journal of Pathology 206(1):52-61, 2005.

• Risbridger GP, Almahbobi GA, Taylor RA.  Early prostate development and its associate with late life prostate disease. Cell and Tissue Research Oct; 322(1):173-81, 2005.

• Ilic D, Risbridger G, Green S. The informed male: what do men want to know about prostate cancer screening? International Journal on Mens Health and Gender 2,4:414-420, 2005.

• Taylor RA, Cowin , Couse JF, Korach KS, Risbridger GP  17b-estradiol induces apoptosis in the developing rodent prostate independently of ERα or ERβ. Endocrinology 147(1): 191-200, 2006.

• Taylor RA, Cowin, PA., Cunha GR, Pera M, Trounson AO, Pedersen J, Risbridger GP. Formation of human prostate tissue from embryonic stem cells. Nature Methods 3 (3):179-181, 2006.

• Bianco JJ, McPherson SJ, Wang H, Prins GS, Risbridger GP, Transient neonatal estrogen exposure to estrogen deficient mice (Aromatase knockout) reduces prostate weight and induces inflammation in late life. Am J Pathol. Jun;168(6):1869-78. 2006.

• Ellem SJ, Risbridger, GP. Aromatase and prostate cancer. Minerva Endocrinologica 31 (1) 1-12, 2006.

Book Chapters

• Risbridger GP, Frydenberg, M. 2004 Endocrinology of Prostate Cancer.  In Endocrinology. (Ed. Leslie J. De Groot) 4^th edition. W.B. Sanders, Philadelphia, PA.

• Risbridger GP, Taylor R. 2004 The physiology of the male sex accessory tissues. In Physiology of Reproduction (Ed. J. D. Neill) 3^rd edition. Elsevier, San Diego, CA.

• Risbridger, Gail P. Activins. 2003 In Encyclopaedia of Hormones. Growth Factors and Cytokines. Elsevier Press, Academic Press, San Diego

• Ball EMA, Risbridger GP 2003 Stem cells in kidney morphogenesis in Stem Cells Handbook, (Ed. Stuart Sell), Humana Press.

• Simpson ER, McPherson S, Jones M, Robertson K, Boon WC, Risbridger G. (2004) Role of estrogens in the male reproductive tract In: New molecular mechanisms of estrogen action and their impact on future perspectives in estrogen therapy. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop 46. (Eds. KS Korach, A. Hillisch, FH Fritzemeier). Springer-Verlag Berlin. p89-125.

International Patents

• 2005901642 Australia, 2005. Monash University. A method for diagnosis & treatment & agents useful for same.

• PCT/AU 2005/000283 USA, 2005. Monash University. A method of screening and agents useful for same.

• PCT/AU 2005/000542 USA, 2004. Monash University. A method of diagnosis.

• WO2004/086048 Multiple Countries, 2004. Monash University. Diagnosis of advanced cancer.

• WO2004/053487 Multiple Countries, 2003. Monash University. Methods of diagnosis, treatment & useful agents for conditions of characterised by the modulation in the level of activin beta C.

• 10/318,283 USA, 2001. Monash University. Methods & compositions for detecting an activin dimer.

• WO98/47526 Multiple Countries, 1998. Monash University. Inhibin modulation of cell growth.

• WO98/54358 Multiple Countries, 1998. Monash University. A method of diagnosing abnormal cell growth.