An Australian-first cancer research facility that will allow scientists to examine individual cancer and immune cells in unprecedented detail has officially opened at the University of Sydney, marking a major step forward in tackling persistent and difficult-to-treat cancers.

The ACRF Single Cell Cancer Proteomics Laboratory, located within Sydney Mass Spectrometry at the Charles Perkins Centre, brings together cutting-edge technologies to help researchers investigate why some cancer cells survive treatment, go on to regrow and ultimately spread.

The facility is Australia’s first dedicated laboratory focused on single-cell cancer proteomics and will be available as a national resource for researchers across Australia.

It represents a $4.2 million combined investment from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and the University of Sydney, with support from the Cancer Institute NSW. 

Officially opened by NSW Minister for Medical Research the Hon. David Harris MP, the facility aims to help solve one of the enduring mysteries in cancer research: why some cancers respond to treatment while others persist.

Minister Harris said: “Thanks to this facility for the first time researchers in Australia will be able to see cancer and immune cells in unprecedented detail which has lifesaving potential for cancer patients.

While chemotherapy can often kill the vast majority of cancer cells, a small population of so-called “persister cells” can survive treatment. These cells can later regrow and, in some cancers, lead to poor prognosis and metastasis.  

The laboratory’s researchers are using single-cell cancer proteomics, which is the study of individual proteins in each cell, to investigate what makes these cells different. Researchers are heralding this approach as it enables discovery of why some cells are resistant to treatment and others appear benign, in the hope of providing data to create treatments that target the vulnerabilities of drug-resistant cells. 

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott AO said the facility would strengthen Australia’s ability to tackle one of the nation’s biggest health challenges.

“This facility gives researchers nationwide access to powerful new technologies that can reveal what’s happening inside individual cancer cells, helping us better understand disease and identify new opportunities for treatment.”

The laboratory is led by Associate Professor Mark Larance from the School of Medical Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre. 

“Not all cancer cells are the same, even within the same tumour. Understanding these differences is critical if we want to develop more effective and personalised treatments,” he said.

“Cancer treatment can be thought of as trying to eliminate all cancer cells, but the challenge is understanding the small population of cells that might survive. We want to know what is special about these ‘persister’ cells that just won’t die.”

The centrepiece of the facility is the ACRF-funded Thermo Fisher Scientific Orbitrap Astral Zoom mass spectrometer, which enables researchers to analyse thousands of proteins from individual cells.

"I would describe it as the “Hubble Space Telescope” for looking inside individual cancer cells. This new ability to see these individual cells and understand what is happening inside them gives us a new way of approaching cancer treatment,” said Associate Professor Larance.  

The facility will be housed within the Charles Perkins Centre, whose mission is to ease the burden of chronic disease through multidisciplinary research, education and innovation that delivers real-world impact.  

Professor Leanne Redman, Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre said:  "Metabolic conditions such as obesity are associated with at least 13 different cancers, yet we still have much to learn about the biological pathways that connect metabolic health and cancer.

“This new capability will allow researchers to study individual cancer cells and their proteins with unprecedented precision, opening new avenues for understanding how factors such as metabolism, diet and exercise influences cancer development, progression and treatment response."

The laboratory will combine leading-edge technologies including a Leica laser capture microdissection microscope, CellenOne Neo single-cell sample preparation system, advanced bioinformatics platforms, and the Orbitrap Astral Zoom Mass Spectrometer dedicated to single-cell cancer research. The researchers will analyse cell lines from a range of cancers, including those stubbornly resistant to treatment such as melanoma and glioblastoma, as well as persistent forms of breast and prostate cancer.

ACRF Chief Executive Officer Kerry Strydom said understanding why some cancer cells survive treatment presents opportunity for significant discovery. 

“Ultimately we hope that everyone in Australia will have the opportunity to benefit from advances in cancer research and we’re proud to support the University of Sydney and its research partners as they advance the collective understanding of difficult-to-treat cancers,” she said.

“It demonstrates what can be achieved when we invest in world-class technology, giving our brightest scientific minds the support they need to turn bold ideas into breakthroughs.” 

The facility brings together expertise spanning cancer biology, immunology, proteomics, genomics, clinical research and data science through collaborations involving researchers from the University of Sydney, Melanoma Institute Australia, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW Health Pathology and Royal North Shore Hospital.

By making the facility available to researchers nationally, the University aims to fast-track Australia’s cancer drug-development capabilities and contribute to establishing Australia as a global leader in understanding and treating persistent and difficult-to-treat cancers.