Testing Tumours

Hailstones lashing the windows in a noisy storm woke me up at 1.30am. When I looked outside the garden was white. I thought it must be drifts of hailstones, but people have assured me today that we had snow. Whatever, it was cold! Luckily the sun shone, and I dressed warmly to walk to my U3A gathering.

Melissa Habberfield, Director of the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation spoke to us about that organisation. Started 62 years ago, they have had significant bequests that have enabled them to build up an investment fund which means they can spend at least a million dollars each year, funding research (35 projects each year) and helping to keep experienced researchers in Canterbury. In recent years they have funded research into Type One Diabetes in children, which led to the development of an automated system so that parents no longer need to wake and test their young child every three hours.

Cells

Doctor Elizabeth Phillips spoke of her research into the links between fat cells and cancer, as part of the MacKenzie Cancer Research Group, who investigate modifiable personal and environmental factors. 25,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Aotearoa each year, and research shows that when fat cells interact with cancer cells they produce proteins that can make the cancer cells more aggressive, move faster, and become resistant to chemotherapy. This research includes both breast and prostate cancer, and donations from the Cancer Society tissue bank are utilised. There are fewer of these now that mastectomies are less common. Patients tend to choose wide local excision instead, which is better for physical and emotional health. Elizabeth showed how they can use a 3D printer to print tumours for research. To continue her work she makes an average of ten grant applications each year, and only 10-15% of these are successful.

Melissa emphasised that there is little security for researchers who always need to apply for grants. The Foundation relies on donations, and gets no Government funding. Donations of any size are always welcome, and you can become a member for $25. The Foundation regularly offers free presentations, such as one on Depression at Turanga on 15 September.

Support for research into health
needs people who will share their wealth