Professor Sunil Lakhani
Research Interests
Professor Lakhani's Group investigates the
molecular and cellular pathology of breast disease, in particular
in breast carcinogenesis. The overall objective of the group is to
combine cutting edge molecular technologies with traditional
pathological assessment to deepen our understanding of breast
cancer development. The group is part of a global push to better
define molecularly distinct groups of breast cancers. This is
pursued not only to develop better prognostic and predictive
markers to improve patient management in the clinic but also to
uncover mechanisms of tumour initiation and spread with the hope
of uncovering new candidates
for targeted therapy With
joint academic (The University of Queensland) and clinical appointments (Pathology
Queensland), Professor Lakhani is an integral part of breast cancer
patient management at the Breast Unit of the Royal Brisbane and
Women's Hospital (RBWH).
The research team comprised of both
scientists and practicing clinicians ensures a translational focus
to the research portfolio. Questions arising from clinical practice
within the Breast Unit 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 group is also part of the Breast Cancer Working Group of the
International Cancer Genome
Consortium (ICGC). The consortium was established in 2008 to
conduct comprehensive, high-resolution analysis of the full range
of genomic changes in 50 different cancer types. The Breast Cancer
Working Group, chaired by Professor Mike Stratton at the Wellcome
Trust Sanger Institute (UK) brings together renowned leaders of
multiple disciplines including pathology, epidemiology, oncology,
genetics, genomics and bioinformatics to generate a comprehensive
catalogue of genomic abnormalities of the disease and thereby
accelerate research into the causes and control of breast
cancer.
Research Projects
MULTISTEP PROGRESSION
Uncovering mechanisms of
lobular carcinoma progression and metastasis: LCIS to ILC and ILC
to local and distant metastases
Mechanisms of basal breast cancer metastasis and colonisation to
the brain
CLASSIFICATION
Genetic and transcriptomic definition of classic
and pleomorphic lobular carcinoma and other variants
Studies of basals/metaplastics and familial breast cancers &
role of DNA repair
NORMAL/STEM CELL BIOLOGY
The differential effects of
microenvironmental changes on normal luminal and myoepithelial cell
plasticity
Investigating tumoursphere in vitro modelling to identify breast
cancer stem cells
Selected Publications
Lakhani S.R., Manek S., Penault-Llorca F., Flanagan A., Arnout
L., Merrett S., McGuffog L., SteeleD., Easton D.F. (2004).
Pathology of ovarian cancers in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. Clin
CancerRes 10: 2473-2481.
Jones C., Ford E., Gillett C., Ryder K., Merrett S., Reis-Filho
J.S., Fulford L.G., Hanby A., Lakhani S.R. (2004). Molecular
cytogenetic identification of subgroups of grade III invasive
ductal breast carcinomas with different clinical outcomes. Clin
Cancer Res 10: 5988-5997.
Jones C, Mackay A, Grigoriadis A, Cossu A, Reis-Filho J.S,
Fulford L, Dexter T, Davies S, Bulmer K, Ford E, Parry S, Budroni
M, Palmier G, Neville AM, O'Hare MJ, Lakhani S.R. (2004) Expression
profiling of purified normal human luminal and myoepithelial breast
cells: identification of novel prognostic markers for breast
cancer. Cancer Res 64(9), 3037-3045.
Stephens P., Edkins S., Davies H., Greenman C., Cox C., Hunter
C., Bignell G., Teague J., Smith R., Stevens C., O'Meara S., Parker
A., Tarpey P., Avis T., Barthorpe A., Brackenbury L., Buck G.,
Butler A., Clements J., Cole J., Dicks E., Edwards K., Forbes S.,
Gorton M., Gray K., Halliday K., Harrison R., Hills K., Hinton J.,
Jones D., Kosmidou V., Laman R., Lugg R., Menzies A., Perry J.,
Petty R., Raine K., Shepherd R., Small A., Solomon H., Stephens Y.,
Tofts C., Varian J., Webb A., West S., Widaa S., Yates A., Brasseur
F., Cooper C.S., Flanagan A.M., Green A., Knowles M., Leung S.Y.,
Looijenga L.H., Malkowicz B., Pierotti M.A., Teh B., Yuen S.T.,
Nicholson A.G., Lakhani S., Easton D.F., Weber B.L., Stratton M.R.,
Futreal P.A., Wooster R. (2005). A screen of the complete protein
kinase gene family identifies diverse patterns of somatic mutations
in human breast cancer. Nat Genet 37: 590-592.
Leach M.O., Boggis C.R., Dixon A.K., Easton D.F., Eeles R.A.,
Evans D.G., Gilbert F.J., Griebsch I., Hoff R.J., Kessar P.,
Lakhani S.R., Moss S.M., Nerurkar A., Padhani A.R., Pointon L.J.,
Thompson D., Warren R.M. (2005). Screening with magnetic resonance
imaging and mammography of a UK population at high familial risk of
breast cancer: a prospective multicentre cohort study (MARIBS).
Lancet 365: 1769-1778.
Lakhani S.R., Reis-Filho J.S., Fulford L., Penault-Llorca F.,
van der Vijver M., Parry S., Bishop T., Benitez J., Easton D.F.
(2005). Prediction of BRCA1 status in patients with breast cancer
using estrogen receptor and basal phenotype. Clin Cancer Res 11:
5175-5180.
Davies H., Hunter C., Smith R., Stephens P., Greenman C.,
Bignell G., Teague J., Butler A., Edkins S., Stevens C., Parker A.,
O'Meara S., Avis T., Barthorpe S., Brackenbury L., Buck G.,
Clements J., Cole J., Dicks E., Edwards K., Forbes S., Gorton M.,
Gray K., Halliday K., Harrison R., Hills K., Hinton J., Jones D.,
Kosmidou V., Laman R., Lugg R., Menzies A., Perry J., Petty R.,
Raine K., Shepherd R., Small A., Solomon H., Stephens Y., Tofts C.,
Varian J., Webb A., West S., Widaa S., Yates A., Brasseur F.,
Cooper C.S., Flanagan A.M., Green A., Knowles M., Leung S.Y.,
Looijenga L.H., Malkowicz B., Pierotti M.A., Teh B.T., Yuen S.T.,
Lakhani S.R., Easton D.F., Weber B.L., Goldstraw P., Nicholson
A.G., Wooster R., Stratton M.R., Futreal P.A. (2005). Somatic
mutations of the protein kinase gene family in human lung cancer.
Cancer Res 65: 7591-7595.
Chenevix-Trench G., Healey S., Lakhani S., Waring P., Cummings
M., Brinkworth R., Deffenbaugh A.M., Burbidge L.A., Pruss D.,
Judkins T., Scholl T., Bekessy A., Marsh A., Lovelock P., Wong M.,
Tesoriero A., Renard H., Southey M., Hopper J.L., Yannoukakos K.,
Brown M., Easton D., Tavtigian S.V., Goldgar D., Spurdle A.B.
(2006). Genetic and Histopathologic Evaluation of BRCA1 and BRCA2
DNA Sequence Variants of Unknown Clinical Significance. Cancer Res
66: 2019-2027.
Smart CE, Clarke C, Brooks KM, Raghavendra A, Brewster BL,
French JD, Hetherington R, Fleming JS, Rothnagel JA, Wainwright B,
Lakhani SR, Brown MA (2008) Targeted disruption of Brca1 in
restricted compartments of the mouse mammary epithelia. Breast
Cancer Res Treat 112(2), 237-241.
Da Silva L., Buck L., Simpson P.T., Reid L., McCallum N.,
Madigan B.J., Lakhani S.R. (2009). Molecular and morphological
analysis of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast with synchronous
tubular adenosis. Virchows Arch 454:1:107-114.
Shin S.J., Simpson P.T., Da Silva L., Jayanthan J., Reid L.,
Lakhani S.R., Rosen P.P. (2009). Molecular evidence for progression
of microglandular adenosis (MGA) to invasive carcinoma. Am J Surg
Pathol 33:4:496-504.
Vargas A.C., Lakhani S.R., Simpson P.T. (2009). Pleomorphic
lobular carcinoma of the breast: molecular pathology and clinical
impact. Future Oncol 5:2:233-243.
Pakkiri P, Lakhani SR, Smart CE (2009) Current and future
approach to the pathologist's assessment for targeted therapy in
breast cancer. Pathology 41(1), 89-99.
Funding Acknowledgement
NHMRC
NBCF
SERTF
LICR
RBWH Foundation
AMAQ
Collaborations
Prof Georgia Chenevix-Trench
Prof
Kumkum Khanna
Dr Brent Reynolds
Dr Amanda Spurdle
Dr Nicola Waddell
Associate
Professor Melissa Brown
A/Prof Ernst Wolvetang
Prof Luis Vitetta
Prof Owen Ung
Dr Liz Kenny
Dr Geoff Beadle
Dr Nicole McCarthy
Dr Roget Allison
Prof Jorge Reis-Filho
Prof Ian Ellis
Prof Mike Stratton
Dr Sandra Shin
Dr Andrew Simpson
Dr Parmjit Jat
Prof Munro Nevlille
Prof Stephen Fox
Dr Ewan Millar
Dr Rosemary Balliene
A/Prof Michael Bilous
A/Prof Puay Hoon Tan
Dr Michal Michal
Dr Alena Skalova
Dr Alan Porter
Dr R Pathmanathan
Dr Queenie Lau
Dr Tom Robertson
Dr Alex Swarbrick
PATHOLOGISTS in Breast Cancer Working Group
Prof Sunil Lakhani UQCCR/RBWH, Brisbane, Australia
Dr Andrea Richardson Dana Faber Cancer Centre, USA
Dr Jorge Reis-Filho Breakthrough Breast Cancer, London UK
Dr Anne Vincent-Saloman Institute Curie, Paris, France
Dr Jocylyne Jacquemier Marseille, France
Prof Marc van de Vijver Academic Medical Centre, Netherlands
Team Members
Dr Peter Simpson - Postdoctoral Research
Fellow
Dr Chanel Smart - Postdoctoral Research
Fellow
Dr Jodie Saunus - Postdoctoral Research
Fellow
Dr Amy Reed - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Leonard DaSilva - Senior Lecturer
A/Prof Christophe Rosty : GI Group
Dr Pria Pakkiri - Honorary/Associates
A/Prof Margaret Cummings -
Honorary/Associates
Prof Anne-Marie McNicol - Honorary/Associates
Dr Rachel Chambers - Pathology Registrar
Dr Blake O'Brien - Pathology Registrar
Lynne Reid - Research Officer
Patricia Keith - Research Officer
Annette Lane - Research Officer- LICR
Janani Jayanthan - Research Officer
Dr Ana Cristina Vargas Calderon - Clinical
Fellow/PhD student
Neelam Malik - PhD Student
Brenda Mason - PA to Prof Lakhani
