A Grand Round to celebrate the distinguished career of Professor George Werther, and to open the 2019 Hopkins Symposium on Paediatric Neurology

Synopsis:

The Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) system plays a fundamental role throughout the life cycle, acting via both endocrine and paracrine mechanisms. Studies by Prof George Werther and the Endocrine Research team at the Melbourne Children’s Campus have shown that IGF is critical in early development, especially in the brain, where a deficiency leads to marked microcephaly, and it is essential in repair of ischaemic injury. Most recently we have focused on the role of the IGF system in cancer, using neuroblastoma cells, where IGFs and their binding proteins play a critical role, including the regulation of angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation) which is involved both in cancer and in early life development. By antibody targeting of the nuclear binding region of IGFBP2, we have provided preliminary evidence for potent inhibition of cancer cell growth and motility. Such strategies may offer opportunities for novel approaches to a range of cancers.

Speaker:

Professor George Werther graduated from the University of Melbourne, entered paediatric training then completed fellowships in paediatric diabetes and endocrinology in Oxford, Cincinnati and Stanford. He began studies in the IGF system at Monash University in Melbourne, and later set up his laboratory at The Royal Children’s Hospital / Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, where he has been undertaking research and clinical practice for over 35 years. Prof Werther was Head of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at RCH from 1999 until 2015 and has overseen the training of 16 paediatric endocrinologists, many of whom are now international professors of endocrinology. He has published over 200 papers and book chapters, and received numerous awards including the International Award for Scientific Achievement from the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, the Wettenhall Medical for Excellence in Research and Innovation from the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group, and the RCH Chairman’s Medal. He has successfully commercialised some his work, being instrumental in the establishment of the ASX-listed Antisense Therapeutics Limited, for which his laboratory provided an antisense to the IGF-I receptor used in psoriasis and cancer studies. Prof Werther has been President of the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) and Treasurer of the Australian Diabetes Society.