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Pathology is the study of the mechanism of disease; in our discipline of Molecular & Cellular Pathology, we use morphology as well as molecular techniques to evaluate the structure and function of cells so that we can understand the disease process, which in turn will enable patient management. Pathology is the study of the mechanism of disease; Molecular & Cellular Pathology uses morphology and ancillary techniques such as cell culture and isolation, genomic analysis, expression profiling, mutational analysis and protein expression to evaluate the structure and function of the cells in order to understand the disease process. This helps pathologists make an accurate diagnosis, which in turn enables appropriate patient management.
Professor Lakhani’s lab has an interest in breast disease, in particular in breast carcinogenesis. The classical pathological data in making a cancer related diagnosis include (sub)classification, grade (differentiation), stage (extent of disease), prognostic and predictive factors. The overall objective of the group is to utilise molecular techniques in conjunction with traditional pathological data to extend the understanding of the disease process and hence provide information to aid patient management.
The work in the Molecular Pathology Laboratory, based at UQ/QIMR (Bancroft Centre) is of a translational nature. Questions arising from clinical practice within the Breast Unit at The Royal Brisbane Hospital are brought into the laboratory for investigation with the hope of translating the information back to the clinic for practical use in making patient related decisions.
The two major areas of work fall into:
Molecular Genetic Classification of Breast Cancer:
The projects within this area include the definition and molecular pathology of basal/myoepithelial lesions within the breast. The classification, behaviour, prognosis and carcinogenic pathways of these tumours are essentially unknown, making clinical management decisions of these tumours a challenge.
The lab also has an interest in the pathology and molecular pathology of familial breast cancers seen in patients with germline mutations in BRCA1/2 genes. This work is now being translated to clinical practice to identify high-risk women.
Multistep carcinogenesis:
The mammographic screening program is identifying a large number of lesions which pathologists find difficult to classify as their natural history is unknowm. The lab is investigating LCIS lesions, either seen incidentally or via the screening program and another recently recognised screen-detected lesion referred to as ‘Columnar Cell Hyperplasia’. The objective is to understand the biological (clonal) nature of the lesions and their inter-relationships.
The lab has previously demonstrated that genetic changes identified in these preinvasive lesions are also seen in apparently normal breast tissue. The lab is investigating the frequency and significance of such changes in normal tissues.
A major subunit of this Discipline is the Apoptosis Research Unit, headed by Associate Professor Glenda Gobe. The Apoptosis Research Unit specialises in identification of modes of cell death and molecular pathways controlling apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Their key interest is kidney disease, both acute and chronic renal failure and renal cancer development and treatment.
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