Cancer Metabolism Program

The ability of tumour cells to reprogram key metabolic pathways to facilitate tumorigenesis and metastasis is now recognised as one of the hallmarks of cancer.

The Cancer Metabolism Program has been recently established at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and aims to understand the influence of obesity and metabolism on the development and growth of cancer.

Areas of interest in the program include understanding:

  • How obesity and the metabolic syndrome increase the risk of cancer
  • How obesity drives tumour growth
  • Redox balance in tumour development
  • How nutrient availability and utilisation drives tumour growth
  • Metabolic heterogeneities in cancer
  • How tumour metabolism is altered to support cancer growth and spread
  • Mechanisms by which oncogenic pathways reprogram tumour metabolism
  • How alterations in tumour metabolism influence the immune response
  • How alterations in immune cell metabolism influence tumour growth
  • How tumour metabolism promotes therapy resistance
  • How tumour-specific metabolic vulnerabilities can be targeted for cancer therapy

Program head

Head: Cancer Metabolism Program; Group Leader, Senior Faculty

Research labs