The Garvan Institute of Medical Research has been awarded a historic $25 million grant from the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) through its inaugural Collaborative Research Accelerator (CRA) initiative. This five-year investment will support the institute’s ambitious ‘AllClear’ program, a large-scale national and international collaboration led by Associate Professor Christine Chaffer and Professor Peter Croucher. The program is focused on stopping breast cancer recurrence, with the ultimate aim of halving deaths from the disease.
As the single largest research investment NBCF has made in its 30-year history, the CRA grant underscores a strategic push to unite leading researchers from across Australia and globally. Partner organisations will also contribute 20% co-investment to enhance the impact. NBCF CEO Dr Cleola Anderiesz described the initiative as a major leap forward, enabling high-impact research and fostering deep collaboration across the cancer research ecosystem.
Professor Benjamin Kile of Garvan noted that the AllClear program stands out due to its scale and comprehensive approach, bridging laboratory science with clinical application. It focuses on understanding and preventing breast cancer relapse by studying dormant cancer cells that can linger in bones and cause metastatic disease years after initial treatment.
Around 15% of breast cancer patients experience recurrence within 10 years, and these relapses can be fatal. The AllClear team aims to identify and understand these hidden cancer cells, differentiate them from primary tumour cells, and discover why existing therapies often fail. Using advanced technologies like machine learning and molecular profiling, they will build the world’s first and largest biobank of paired primary tumour and bone samples. This will help predict recurrence risks and develop targeted treatments to prevent relapse.
Professor Croucher highlighted a breakthrough method to isolate dormant cancer cells from bone tissue, providing an unprecedented opportunity to understand recurrence at a cellular level. Insights from this work could not only transform breast cancer treatment but also benefit research into other cancers.
The AllClear project involves nearly 60 researchers from seven top-tier institutions in Australia, including St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, UNSW Sydney, Breast Cancer Trials, the University of Sydney, and the University of Newcastle. It also partners with international experts from Yale and Washington University and 11 NSW hospitals. The collaboration actively includes patients’ voices and ensures diversity in participation, spanning rural, regional, and multicultural communities.
Garvan’s strategic location in the St Vincent’s Sydney Health Innovation Precinct has enabled access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and close clinical collaboration. Ms Anna McFadgen of St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney emphasized the grant as a testament to the impact of their partnership with Garvan on both research and patient care.
Further strengthening the program, the collaboration with Breast Cancer Trials will help fast-track clinical testing of newly developed therapies, giving patients quicker access to potentially life-saving treatments. Professor Kile expressed optimism that Garvan’s integration of cancer biology, genomics, immunology, and clinical translation will transform breast cancer research into real-world impact, marking a powerful new chapter in the fight against the disease.
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