ACRF Centre for Kinomics officially opens

In an Australian first, a new leading research centre has been officially opened at Westmead that is set to change cancer treatments and is being driven by the University’s Professor Adam McCluskey.

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) Centre for Kinomics at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Westmead was officially opened on September 27, 2012. The ACRF Centre for Kinomics was funded by a $3.1 million ACRF grant as well as a $1 million Ramaciotti Biomedical Research Award and consists of two laboratories to facilitate the work of research teams from the CMRI and the University of Newcastle.

This Centre focuses on kinomics which is a new discipline in the field of cancer research and was a collaborative effort between CMRI’s Professor Phil Robinson and Professor Adam McCluskey from the University of Newcastle.

Kinomics examines the subset of proteins known as protein kinases. Protein kinases are the master switches for cellular regulation. When the process of kinases is interrupted it can have serious implications on the human body leading to many different types of cancer.

Combining the expertise of the University of Newcastle in medicinal chemistry and CMRI in proteomics, two teams led by McCluskey and Robison will identify drugs that target protein kinase and identify potential side effects. This will allow re-purposing of existing drugs, the design of new drugs and potentially individualised treatment options with fewer side effects.