THE “game-changing” discovery of a new way to kill leukaemia cells is the first major breakthrough at the $200 million South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

The results will bring new hope to patients and their families by dramatically reducing the need for intensive, ongoing drug treatment and subsequent side-effects.

The study, led by SAHMRI and the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Personalised Cancer Medicine, made the discovery, which researchers say presents a new treatment strategy with a significant reduction in side-effects for patients.

SAHMRI’s director of cancer research, Professor Deborah White, said the breakthrough was “paradigm-shifting”.

“Our findings are not just applicable to chronic myeloid leukaemia therapy, but to all targeted cancer treatments,” she said.

“In our research, we’re looking for methods that will result in the cancer cell killing itself. This would provide an improved treatment and reduce the risk of cancer relapse.

“With this treatment, during a short exposure to therapy, the cancer cells say ‘this is all too hard, we are just going to die’.”

Prof White said the discovery showed the enormous value of SAHMRI, through its state-of-the-art research facilities and its collaborative approach working with other institutions such as universities.

“This absolutely shows the value of SAHMRI with its facilities enabling us to do this sort of work and also the collaborative strength,” she said “We are also very conscious of moving research from bench to bedside quickly.”

The new treatment strategy is expected to be put to use on patients relatively quickly because it involves the simple manipulation of a common protein when used with existing drugs which already have approval.

Blocking the protein, in conjunction with short periods of intense therapy, appears to influence the cancer cells to kill themselves, contrasting with the current requirement for continuous treatment and debilitating side-effects.

Prof White and her research team, including University of Adelaide PhD student Lisa

Schafranek, have been investigating the role of a protein known as STAT 5.

“The activity of STAT 5 appears to be a critical determinant of the decision for cancer cells

to live or die,” says Miss Schafranek, a Leukaemia Foundation of Australia PhD scholar.

“Our research has found that by blocking STAT 5 in conjunction with exposure to a regular

anti-cancer treatment, we were able to more effectively target the leukaemia cells.

“We now also better understand the timing required for the combined treatment to be effective.”

The results have been published in the journal Leukemia.

The discovery comes just seven months after Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Premier Jay Weatherill officially opened the $200 million SAHMRI building as the first of a series in the biggest health and biomedical greenfield site in the southern hemisphere.

However, SAHMRI was already up and running well before the building opened, and had already won more than $18 million in grants.

Along with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and other buildings housing university teaching and research facilities, the precinct is primed to bring research dollars and brains to Adelaide, with a strong emphasis on turning academic ideas into cures and treatments which also will generate money for South Australia.

For families like the Tripodi family of Totness in the Adelaide Hills, the breakthrough is thrilling.

Amelia, 13, was diagnosed with leukaemia at age 10 and underwent intensive chemotherapy but after six months, caught a fungal infection which resulted in the loss of a kidney and lung as well as other complications requiring seven months in hospital.

“Amelia has been through the rigours but we have come out the other side and she is back at school and callisthenics,” her mother Kerry said.

“The chemotherapy left her susceptible to the infection so anything that improves the treatment we welcome a million, million times over.

“We could not speak more highly of the medical staff here and it is wonderful news that this sort of research is being done here in South Australia — we would not want any other family to go through what we did.”