DOCUMENT

Just before brain cancer researcher Associate Professor Scott Graham finished his application for a 2025 Small Project Grant, he saw something that blew his mind. “We thought, holy heck!” he said. “It was one of those epiphany moments.” He’s referring to data that emerged frommetastatic melanoma research by Dr Akshata Anchan, a former Neurological Foundation First Fellow and Rutherford Foundation postdoctoral fellow. “It showed our previous hypothesis had been wrong,” says Scott. “Our new one is based on this observation.” His application, containing the new data, was successful. The $20,000 grant is now funding two Master’s students to continue an exciting line of inquiry: that brain cancer cells coat themselves in proteins to evade the body’s immune cells. “You know Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility?” says Scott. “We think it works like that.” The team uses a technique called mass spectometry, which works by exploding the melanoma cells with an electron gun in a vacuum. The researchers profile the cancer cell proteins, identify the molecules that they’d expect to find, then see what’s left over. This way, they hope to discover the ‘cloak’. After that, researchers can devise ways to remove the cloak, expose the cancer cells and allow the immune system to work its magic. “One of those epiphany moments” Brain cancer cells and their cloak of invisibility Neurological Foundation supporters will recognise another team player: Dr James Hucklesby, who has invented a model for testing endothelial cells (which line blood vessels) using simulated blood flow. Most testing is carried out on static models, whereas James’s version mimics the environment of the human brain in a much more real-world way, leading to more reliable results. Scott says that although the small project grant investment is modest, the impact is huge. “It’s immediate, medium-term and potentially long-term,” he says. The funding allows him to recruit students who’ve completed a post-graduate diploma in biomedical science, giving them a sense of ownership over the work, something he describes as “phenomenal”. In the medium and longer term, Scott says, this work will shift the dial on treatment for a devastating disease that affects thousands of Kiwis, and their families, each year. Associate Professor Scott Graham Dr Akshata Anchan Dr James Hucklesby “You know Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility? We think it works like that.” Associate Professor Scott Graham 22 23