The University of Melbourne and France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) will establish a new International Research Laboratory in Melbourne that expands and consolidates the existing collaboration between the cancer laboratory of Professor Frédéric Hollande, from the University of Melbourne, and that of Dr Patrick Mehlen (CNRS, Lyon).
Led by Professor Hollande and located at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), the joint laboratory will accelerate research discoveries and enable clinical trials across the two countries.
A Letter of Intent was signed at the VCCC by Professor Mark Cassidy, University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Professor Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of CNRS.
This new CNRS International Research Laboratory, funded by CNRS and the University of Melbourne, cements a long-term partnership, building on an existing collaboration.
The joint laboratory will use state-of-the-art technological approaches to study how single cancer cells change over time in the body's tissues to understand what is causing cancer cells to form and to adapt to their environment. It will be named 'PHANTOM' (Plasticity, Heterogeneity and Tumour Microenvironment).
Professor Hollande said the lab will tackle key genetic and non-genetic mechanisms which allow cancers to continually adapt, driving treatment resistance in tumours with poor survival outcomes like metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancers.
"Through our partnership, we hope to make new discoveries in cancer biology that can more quickly be translated into therapies for patients," Professor Hollande said.
Dr Mehlen said the lab will explore new potential drugs that can stop tumour adaptability and resistance to current cancer treatments.
"Combining our expertise in the reactivation of embryonic processes in cancer with Professor Hollande's expertise in the mechanisms that underpin tumour heterogeneity and treatment resistance in solid tumours, we are ideally positioned to make discoveries," Dr Mehlen said.
University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell said the joint laboratory will enable the two institutions to lead on a global challenge to tackle this critical issue in cancer research.
"We're excited to be expanding our longstanding partnership with CNRS and building opportunities for greater collaboration and innovation between France and Australia, and our shared scientific focus in cancer research," Professor Maskell said.
Professor Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of CNRS said: "The establishment of the International Research Laboratory 'PHANTOM' in partnership with the University of Melbourne represents a pivotal shift in our approach to oncology research.
"This collaboration epitomises our commitment to advancing scientific frontiers to tackle pressing global health challenges and reflects our belief that innovation arises through international cooperation
"We are honoured to strengthen the connections between the CNRS, France, and Australia in this important endeavour."
CNRS International Research Laboratories bring together teams of researchers, students, postdoctoral fellows, engineers, and technicians from the partner institution (in this case, the University of Melbourne) and CNRS to enable research collaboration on a shared scientific focus.
CNRS is the French public research organisation and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. It is an international leader in basic research, active in all fields of science, bringing together different scientific disciplines to shed light on and gain insight into current global challenges.
