Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory

The Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory is a highly collaborative team of researchers, clinicians and students who work closely with the other groups within the Cancer Centre to pursue the common goal of curing childhood cancers.

The laboratory’s focus is the search for new and more effective therapies for glioma and other types of brain tumours. Gliomas are a heterogeneous group of brain cancers that are generally aggressive and difficult to treat. High-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma in adults and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children, continue to have a miserable outcome with most patients dying within 2 years of diagnosis. There has been very little improvement in the prognosis for glioma patients for over 30 years and there is a critical need for more effective treatment options. The lab is also developing a research program in ependymoma, another brain cancer found in children and adolescents.

Hyperactive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling drives the growth of many types of brain cancers and the laboratory has played an integral role in developing therapeutic antibodies that block this signalling mechanism. While these antibodies are being tested in clinical trials, the study of EGFR signalling continues alongside the pursuit of other targets in brain tumour cells that may be important drivers of carcinogenesis. These include neural transcription factors such as OLIG2 and ion channel proteins.

The challenge of overcoming the development of drug resistance by brain tumours remains daunting and is the major obstacle that needs to be overcome to manage, and ultimately cure, the disease. The Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory continues to tackle this difficult problem in new and innovative ways as part of the global effort to improve the outcomes for brain tumour patients.

If you are interested in joining his laboratory as a student or researcher, please contact Professor Terrance Johns.