Professor Nikola Bowden completed her Bachelor of Biomedical Science, followed by Honors and a Ph.D. at the University of Newcastle. She became the first NBN Telethon post-doctoral fellow in Childhood Cancer, focusing on Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP)—a rare condition marked by extreme sensitivity to UV radiation. Her work on DNA repair sparked her interest in melanoma, leading to funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council to investigate UV-induced DNA damage and melanoma.
Professor Bowden’s research explored why UV exposure causes melanoma, and how skin cells repair UV induced damage.
Feedback from local melanoma patients shifted her research focus to treatment options, addressing why typical chemotherapy fails against melanoma. Nikola discovered that melanoma tumours lack the DNA repair mechanism needed for chemotherapy effectiveness. This breakthrough redirected her research.
In 2010, while in the U.S., Professor Bowden learned about promising results from an immunotherapy trial. Immunotherapy has since become a primary melanoma treatment, but it only benefits around 50% of patients. Collaborating with Newcastle oncologist Dr. Andre van der Westhuizen, she launched clinical trials combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy for patients who do not initially respond to immunotherapy. This combination has shown promising results, with some patients experiencing “stable disease” or even tumor shrinkage, improving their quality of life.
Since 2014, the Hunter Melanoma Foundation (HMF) has provided vital support to Professor Bowden’s research, funding Ph.D. scholarships, lab equipment, and initial trials that later attracted industry support. HMF's contributions enabled Professor Bowden to expand her team and secure crucial resources, including centrifuges and a cytotoxic hood for safe lab work.
Thanks to HMF’s support, melanoma patients are now achieving longer periods of stable disease, with some experiencing complete responses. Although the trials are currently closed to new patients, they represent a significant advancement in melanoma treatment.
Support the Future of Melanoma Research
The progress in melanoma research led by Professor Bowden and her team would not be possible without the dedicated support of our community. As Professor Nikola Bowden and her team forward with promising clinical trials, we need your help to continue funding crucial research and equipment that give melanoma patients new hope. Your generous donation, no matter the size, directly impacts our ability to support pioneering treatments, improve quality of life, and work towards a future without melanoma. Join us in this vital mission—your support today can make all the difference for tomorrow.
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