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Urology

Unit Head: Associate Professor Mark Frydenberg
Telephone: 9509 1199
Supervisor: Dr Caroline Dowling

  • Hormonal Pathogenesis of BPH
  • BPH/Bladder Dysfunction
  • TOAD (Timing of Androgen Deprivation) Trial
    Looking at the use of post op intravesical chemotherapy for superficial TCC and tolerability of certain stent types.
  • Epigenetics and Aberrant Prostate Growth
    Supervisor: Professor Gail Risbridger

    Alteration in steroid hormone levels during certain periods of development can critically impact on the prostate potentially resulting in permanent alterations that predispose the tissue to the development of benign and malignant disease. This project aims to determine the genes most susceptible to epigenetic change following steroid hormone exposure and how such epigenetic alterations are maintained throughout development to give rise to aberrant prostate growth and disease.

  • Phenotype Characterisation and Physiological Stress Responses in Activin b C Mouse Models
    We have created and are currently characterising a b C-activin over-expressing mouse model and comparing this to normal mice and mice lacking the b C-activin gene. In addition experiments will be performed that place physiological stress on the mice (immune challenge, castration, chronic liver injury). By using these models we will be able to examine the biological effects of increased b C-activin and absence of b C-activin thus giving significant new information as to the potential biological role of this growth factor. Our overall hypothesis is that b C-activin is a growth regulator, so may therefore be able to be targeted therapeutically in diseases of abnormal growth (prostate cancer is an example of particular relevance to our group).
  • Regulation of Adult Prostate Cancer Stem Cells
    The aromatase knockout (ArKO) mouse is a model of hormonal imbalance that results in altered regulation of prostate growth. Transgenic TRAMP mice rapidly develop primary and metastatic prostate cancer early in life. The aim of this project is to crossbreed ArKO and TRAMP mice and investigate the regulatory influence of altered endogenous hormone production on the development of prostate cancer arising from prostatic stem cells in the TRAMP mouse.