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UCD Conway scientist recognised for novel prostate cancer research

UCD Conway scientist, Dr Deirdre Fanning has been recognised for her research to validate a panel of protein biomarkers of prostate cancer by the American Association Cancer Research (AACR). This work may ultimately help clinicians identify those patients who would benefit from radical prostatectomy.

Dr Fanning received the AACR-AstraZeneca research award at a recent AACR special conference focused on prostate cancer in San Diego, California. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the developed world. Over 2,200 Irish men, north and south of the island will be diagnosed with the disease this year.

No single biomarker exists that can accurately diagnose the presence of prostate cancer, identify the extent of the disease and predict how it will progress in an individual patient. Contemporary prostate cancer research is turning to identifying a panel of protein biomarkers that can act as a prognostic tool in parallel to clinical evaluation.

Commenting on the award, Professor Watson added, “This novel panel of markers were identified from our multi-disciplinary approach to biomarker discovery at UCD Conway Institute, which has recently been published. The current validation study is an important step to bring these markers to clinical utilisation. In collaboration with our current international consortium partners in Austria, Australia and the US, we will now bring these markers into an international validation study”

Dr Fanning is undertaking her MD within the research group led by Conway Fellow, Professor R. William G. Watson as part of the Prostate Cancer Research Consortium (PCRC), an initiative established under Molecular Medicine Ireland to improve the detection, prognosis and treatment of the disease. This research is being funded through the Irish Cancer Society.