condensed from 2004 brochure
Carden Fellow 1954
Professor Don Metcalf’s painstaking and determined research over 5 decades has resulted in the discovery of a bold new supportive cancer therapy. He was able to discover, isolate and then produce agents called colony stimulating factors (CSFs), which are the naturally occurring regulators of bone marrow growth. His discovery, which was developed into a clinical treatment by the biotechnology company Amgen, was first used to support cancer patients in the early 1980s.
Two of the CSFs identified - granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) - are now used in cancer treatments around the world.
One of the first patients in the world to receive CSF treatment was renowned tenor José Carreras. After developing acute myeloid leukaemia, which did not respond to initial treatment, he received a treatment regime that included CSF therapy in 1987. He responded positively and recovered.
The discovery of CSFs took many decades of laboratory research. And results didn’t necessarily come quickly or early; the first few decades laid the foundations for major advances in later years. It wasn’t until 1984, after almost 30 years’ work, that the event that could be considered to be the culmination of a life’s work occurred—the cloning of GM-CSF.
The 4th decade from 1985 to1994 saw the transition from the bench to the bedside. The team extended into the field of clinical research. And during this period G-CSFs were purified, cloned, produced in bulk and investigated as agents in the treatment of human disease. A seminal publication in The Lancet in 1988 showed the ability of G-CSF to control the low white cell counts produced by cancer chemotherapy, a landmark in the beginning of the exploration of the use of these agents in the treatment of human disease.
In the current decade Professor Metcalf has remained at the head of his field, investigating stem cells, their recruitment to grow and differentiate, the receptors for CSFs, issues of cell survival and suppressors of cell signalling, and the cause and nature of leukaemia. In this time the role of CSFs in clinical treatment has gone from strength to strength.
Since 1990, when they were licensed for general use, an estimated 4 million patients worldwide have received CSFs as part of their cancer treatment. Most have needed CSFs to raise their white cell counts and protect them from potentially lethal infection following radiation therapy, high dose cancer chemotherapy, or a bone marrow transplant. Patients with HIV/AIDS have also had CSFs as part of their treatment.
For his remarkable career achievements, Professor Metcalf has received some of the highest honours in the world of contemporary science.
From Professor Metcalf: ‘When I was awarded the Carden Fellowship in 1954, being young and inexperienced, I wasn’t aware of how important this fellowship would become for me. It not only provided my salary, which rose with time and achievements, but also a substantial fraction of the money needed to undertake my research.
‘Guided by the vision of three men, Bill Keogh, Nigel Gray and Allan Dick, this fellowship was to become exceptional—possibly unique in the world—by evolving into lifetime support for me, now extending more than 50 years.
‘Why is this so important? The nightmare of research workers is the need, often on an annual basis, to prepare tedious grant applications for salary and support. This is not only mentally draining but it encourages short-term experiments that are often superficial. Major discoveries require time—decades, not one or two years. They also require teamwork that needs sustained core support.
‘The Executive Committee of the Cancer Council has been unwavering in its support of the Carden Fellow through lean years and those full of achievement. Certainly there was monitoring and assessment but without the usual bureaucratic paperwork. It is no surprise that the Carden Fellowship team was able in sustained efforts over a 30-year period to discover the colony stimulating factors, how they control blood cell formation and how to use them successfully in the clinical management of cancer patients.
‘Major discoveries need major and sustained support and The Cancer Council Victoria is again exhibiting wisdom in seeking to increase the number of long-term fellowships following the Carden model.’
