Latest news with #HeartResearchInstitute
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Mini hearts to save cancer survivors from heart disease
Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts. Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts. Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts. Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Mini hearts to save cancer survivors from heart disease
Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Mini hearts to save cancer survivors from heart disease
Researcher Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming is seeking a therapy that protects cancer patients' hearts. (HANDOUT/Supplied by the Heart Research Institute) Researcher Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming is seeking a therapy that protects cancer patients' hearts. (HANDOUT/Supplied by the Heart Research Institute) Credit: AAP Breast cancer survivors at risk of severe heart disease due to chemotherapy and other treatments could benefit from a new drug to protect them from cardiovascular illness. In Australia, more than 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 3300 die from the disease each year. But the treatments helping patients survive chemotherapy and antibody-based therapies are also putting them at risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions years later. Heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors, with 30 per cent going on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications. A team of scientists at the Heart Research Institute are using lab-grown "mini hearts" - the size of a grain of sand created from patient blood samples - to test drugs that could one day be given alongside chemotherapy. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," lead researcher Professor Julie McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." A protective drug would have been vital for Lee Hunt, who has experienced long-term heart damage from rounds of chemotherapy and Herceptin, a targeted therapy medication. "You never recover after cancer, but I was doing well until about five years after my treatment finished and I started experiencing dizzy spells," Ms Hunt told AAP. "It turned out the chemotherapy had affected my heart and I have permanent heart weakness. It won't kill me but it does need to be managed carefully. "Cancer treatment may save your life but that needs to be a good quality of life." The heart damage could sometimes be worse than the cancer itself, HRI research officer Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming said. "We want to give patients a therapy that can be safely delivered with their cancer treatment, to protect the heart before any damage occurs," she said. "It's about saving hearts as well as lives." While the research project is still in the pre-clinical stage, its potential is significant. The microscopic 3D "mini heart" models mimic aspects of how the human heart functions. "Our mini hearts replicate how a real heart contracts and responds to stress," Dr Liu Chung Ming said. "We expose them to chemotherapy and see how they react, then introduce our drug and see if it helps." The next step in the project will be to use breast cancer patient blood samples to generate personalised mini hearts.
9 News
7 days ago
- Health
- 9 News
A new drug helped Lee survive breast cancer. Then she was thrown a curveball
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here When Sydney woman Lee Hunt was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer back in 2005, she underwent gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She also began taking what was a relatively new and promising targeted therapy drug at the time, Herceptin, which has been shown to boost the effects of chemotherapy. Little did Hunt know that the very treatments that likely saved her life would lead to serious health problems down the track. Lee Hunt, pictured with her husband and grandson. (Supplied) Five years after finishing her cancer treatments, she began to notice strange symptoms. "I just started fainting, and feeling very dizzy," Hunt said. Hunt was referred to a haematologist by her GP, on the assumption that it might be her low blood pressure causing the problem. Luckily, the hematologist was aware of growing evidence of breast cancer survivors developing heart problems after taking Herceptin. Hunt was sent to see a cardiologist, who diagnosed her with cardiotoxity, which refers to long-term damage to the heart caused by a medical treatment. Hunt isn't alone, with data showing heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors. It is now estimated that up to 30 percent of breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy will go on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications as a side effect of associated targeted therapies, immunotherapies or the chemotherapy itself. Lee Hunt, pictured with her husband on a hiking trip in Italy. (Supplied) Australian scientists at the Heart Research Institute hope to have a solution to the problem soon, in the form of a new drug that patients can take while undergoing chemotherapy to prevent heart damage. Professor Julie McMullen leads a team of researchers at the institute who have earmarked two potential drugs which have been showing promise. The drugs are being tested on revolutionary "mini-hearts" created in the lab. The size of a grain of sand, these tiny hearts are made from donated human blood, and have their own heartbeat. Professor Julie McMullen and researcher Dr Clara Liu Chung Ming are pictured the Heart Research Institute's laboratory. (Supplied) The tiny heart model was developed in the laboratory of University of Technology Associate Professor Carmine Gentile in an Australian first. "We can collect blood from breast cancer patients, and then isolate their cells, and with those cells, we can make these little mini hearts," McMullen said. "Then, if we put some cancer drugs onto them, we can see if that impacts how they beat. "We can also test whether one of our protective drugs protects them against any defects in how they beat." The ambitious cardio-oncology project also aims to understand why some patients are more susceptible to cardiotoxicity than others, helping pave the way for more personalised treatment in the future. "We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," McMullen said. "This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment." national health Breast Cancer Research Australia CONTACT US
