The Hepato-Pancreato-Billary and Transplantation Research Group
The HPB Research Group is headed by Professor Christopher Christophi and consists of a number of separate research areas. These include Liver Malignancy, Liver Regeneration, Liver Transplantation and Pancreatic Diseases. This group includes clinicians specializing in liver, pancreas and transplantation surgery which provides unique interactons between clinical and labratory research.
Liver Malignancy
Cancer research is a strong focus within our group in particular colorectal liver metastases as well as primary liver cancer. We have established and characterised a clinically relevant mouse model of this disease which has enabled us to perform in depth investigation of novel treatment methods. These include Vascular Targeting Agents which rapidly shut down tumour blood supply while preserving the normal liver, Macromolecular Drugs which are selectively retained within tumours, Immune therapies which stimulate the immune response to tumours, and the role of the Renin Angiotensin system in tumour growth. Our research goals are to develop combination therapies which will ultimately lead to improved therapeutics to treat this disease, and our position within the Hospital means that we aim to oversee the translation of these therapies into clinical practice.
Liver Transplantation
Our research program for Liver Transplantation uses rat models which reproduce the characteristics of organ procurement injury and of acute rejection. Both these events lead to loss of grafted organs in real life and our biomedical research is focused on novel therapies that may overcome these obstacles. These include investigation of preservative solutions that can safely maintain a donor organ for longer periods, the role of complement inhibitors, and the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on the outcomes of liver transplantation. Investigation of the mechanisms of action of HBO therapy in ischaemia preservation and reperfusion injury (IPRI) is an active area of research within our group.
Liver Regenertation
The liver is a unique organ capable of rapid regenartion. The processes that influence this phenomenon and not fully understood. Furthermore the potential for liver regeneration to influence the behavious of micrometastases has profound implications in clinical practice. We have established mouse models of varying degrees of liver resection to investigate the molecular changes controlling regeneration and its influence on tumour growth.
Severe Acute Pancreatitis
Severe acute pancreatitis is a potentially fatal disease, with limited effective treatments. We have developed and characterized a rat model of severe acute pancreatitis. Current areas of investigation include the effects of pancreatitis on the microcirculation, acinar cell death and treatment with hyperbaric oxygen. An animal hyperbaric chamber is used to administer high pressure oxygen to experimental animals as a treatment. Preliminary work has confirmed that this treatment reduces the destruction of the pancreas and increases survival in animal studies. Other resources used by the Department in this area include a dedicated animal PET scanner (Ludwig Institute), In vivo Confocal microscopy (Optiscan) and Scanning Electron Microscopy of vascular morphology (Botany).
Research Staff
top of page- Head: Professor C Christophi
Tel: +613 94965466
Email: cchri@unimelb.edu.au - Dr V Muralidharan
- Mrs C Malcontenti-Wilson
- Dr T Fifis
- Dr Eleanor Ager
Higher Degree Students
top of page- Jurstine Daruwalla (PhD, 2004 – 2007): Selective drug therapy in an experimental model of colorectal cancer liver metastases.
- Lisa Chan (PhD 2005 – 2007): The effect of vascular targeting agents on a murine model of colorectal liver metastases.
- Nadia Harun (PhD 2005 – 2006): The impact of liver regeneration following the hepatic resection on tumour stimulation.
- Christine Cuthbertson (PhD 2005 – 2007): Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of acute pancreatitis.
- Michael Fink (MD, 2005 – 2006): Optimising the management of patients awaiting liver transplantation.
- Jaclyn Neo (PhD 2006 – 2008): The effect of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists in a mouse model of colorectal cancer liver metastases.
- Nhut Quang Tran (PhD 2006 – 2008): Modulation of ischaemia preservation and reperfusion injury in liver transplantation.
- Stephanie Gan (PhD 2006 – 2008): The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the immune responses to liver transplantation.
- Linh Nguyen (2008 – 2010): Combining selective chemotherapy with anti-angiogenic treatment for colorectal liver metastases.
- Lee Kwan Joo (2008 – 2010): The role of kupffer cells in liver regeneration.
- Kevin Hung (2008-2009): The expression of RAS in human colorectal liver metastases
- Shu Wen Wen (2009- ): Interactions between Kupffer cells and the RAS in colorectal liver metastases.
Honours Students
top of page- Noor Afizah Ahmad (2009):Effect of EGFR Blockade on Tumour Growth in Liver Regeneration
- Liyana Binti Zamri Ahmad (2009): Role of angiogenic factors in tumour stimulation in liver regeneration: Effect of EGFR Blockade
- Way Wang Chong (2009): Combination RAS blockade as a treatment for colorectal liver metastases
Advanced Medical Science Students
top of page- Shantanu Joglekar (2009 – 2010):
- Matthew Y Wei (2009-2010):
Graduating Students
top of pageResearch Higher Degree and Undergraduate Degree graduating students are listed on the graduating students page.
Publications
top of pageResearch Publications from 2003 onwards are available on the Research Publications page.
Funding
top of pageDetails of research funding from 2003 onwards is available from the Research Funding page.