Professor Peter Gunning

Field: Molecular Medicine

Contact Details

Phone: 9385 2531
Email: p.gunning@unsw.edu.au

Tabs

Main

University role:

Head of School

Professor Gunning completed his PhD at Monash University on gene expression in the nervous system and then spent 9 years at Stanford University working first on neuronal differentiation and then on the regulation of muscle gene expression. The latter project involved the cloning of the human contractile proteins which facilitated our cloning of the genes encoding the structural proteins of the skeleton of human cells.

Since returning to Australia his research group has used these genes to study the assembly of the architecture of cells and tissues. They have discovered that a family of proteins called tropomyosins are used to specify the spatial and temporal properties of the cell skeleton. This has provided an entirely new model to account for the range of architectural structures found in cells and allows them to dissect these different structures using genetically modified mice and cells. Mouse models have allowed them to link specific types of structures with specific physiological processes such as cell/tissue growth, glucose metabolism, muscle contraction and neuronal morphogenesis. These models have also revealed the role of cell architecture in diseases as diverse as cancer and obesity. This knowledge has been used to develop new drugs with the potential to treat childhood cancer and other malignancies.

Professor Gunning has published over 140 research papers and recently edited the book "Tropomyosin". He is on the Board of the NSW Cancer Institute and served as the Chair of the NSW Cancer Institute Cancer Research Advisory Committee for 6 years.

Professor Gunning was the inaugural Chair of the Division of Research at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, and the Founding Chair of Bio-Link Pty Ltd.

Research

His research is focussed on diseases of childhood, primarily cancer and muscle damage. Peter is best known for his discovery of one of the key principles underlying the architecture of all cells and its application to childhood cancer. He is also engaged in adult stem cell research to both limit the impact of chemotherapy on children with brain tumours and to enhance the rebuilding of diseased muscles using muscle stem cells.

Keywords:

Cancer

History

Member for: 3 years 11 months

Research

Research activities:

Book Chapters

Brayford S; Schevzov G; Vos J; Gunning P, 2015, 'The role of the actin cytoskeleton in cancer and its potential use as a therapeutic target', in The Cytoskeleton in Health and Disease, pp. 373 - 391 (link is external)

Bonello T; Coombes J; Schevzov G; Gunning P; Stehn J, 2012, 'Therapeutic targeting of the actin cytoskeleton in cancer', in Cytoskeleton and Human Disease, pp. 181 - 200 (link is external)

Curthoys NM; Gunning PW; Fath T, 2011, 'Tropomyosins in Neuronal Morphogenesis and Development', in Nixon RA; Yuan A (ed.), CYTOSKELETON OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, edn. Advances in Neurobiology, SPRINGER, pp. 411 - 445 (link is external)

Hill MA; Gunning P, 1995, 'The cell cytoskeleton's functional requirement for localized mRNA', in Localized RNAs, edn. Original, Springer Publishing Company, New York, pp. 197 - 213

Journal articles

Jeong S; Lim S; Schevzov G; Gunning PW; Helfman DM, 2017, 'Loss of Tpm4.1 leads to disruption of cell-cell adhesions and invasive behavior in breast epithelial cells via increased Rac1 signaling.', Oncotarget (link is external)

Desouza-Armstrong M; Gunning PW; Stehn JR, 2017, 'Tumor suppressor tropomyosin Tpm2.1 regulates sensitivity to apoptosis beyond anoikis characterized by changes in the levels of intrinsic apoptosis proteins.', Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) (link is external)

Pleines I; Woods J; Chappaz S; Kew V; Foad N; Ballester-Beltrán J; Aurbach K; Lincetto C; Lane RM; Schevzov G, 2017, 'Mutations in tropomyosin 4 underlie a rare form of human macrothrombocytopenia', Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 127, pp. 814 - 829 (link is external)

Gateva G; Kremneva E; Reindl T; Kotila T; Kogan K; Gressin L; Gunning PW; Manstein DJ; Michelot A; Lappalainen P, 2017, 'Tropomyosin Isoforms Specify Functionally Distinct Actin Filament Populations In Vitro', Current Biology, vol. 27, pp. 705 – 713 (link is external)

Gunning PW; Hardeman EC, 2017, 'Tropomyosins', Current Biology, vol. 27, pp. R8 - R13 (link is external)

Conference Papers

Chisholm OT; Parisio M; Heaton A; Brown D; Gunning P, 2015, 'Blended strategies for learning about medicines development', in Collins L; Nangle P; Landrigan B; O’Connell A; Teale A (eds.), UNSW Learning and Teaching Forum - Blended Learning: Past, Present and Future, UNSW, UNSW, pp. 74 - 75, presented at UNSW Learning and Teaching Forum - Blended Learning: Past, Present and Future, UNSW, 16 - 16 October 2015

Oldfield R; Jalilian I; Pereira A; Gunning P; Knothe Tate ML, 2015, 'Live Multiplexed Imaging and Modeling of Stem Cell Mechanomics', in Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE 12th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI 2015), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE ), presented at IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging, 16 - 19 April 2015 (link is external)

Knothe Tate ML; Gunning P; Sansalone V, 2014, 'Mapping the Mechanome: Retrospective and Prospective Approaches', in Mapping the Mechanome: Retrospective and Prospective Approaches, 7th World Congress of Biomechanics, pp. 14-IS-5274-WCB, presented at 7th World Congress of Biomechanics, 06 - 11 July 2014 (link is external)

Kee AJ; Lucas CA; Yang L; Szokolai RC; Martel N; Leong GM; Muscat GE; Hughes W; Cooney G; James DE, 2012, 'The actin regulatory protein Tropomyosin 5NM1 regulates glucose uptake and GLUT4 trafficking in the mouse.', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY (link is external)

Hardeman EC; Darhed HA; Lee ASJ; Chen G; Shah J; Joya JE; Gunning PW, 2012, 'BLOOD BORNE AGENTS RESCUE REGENERATION IMPAIRED MUSCLE', in WOUND REPAIR AND REGENERATION, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. A59 - A59 (link is external)

Conference Posters

Hardeman EC; Kee AJ; Lucas CA; Chagan J; Gunning PW, 2016, 'Metabolic impact of targeting the tropomyosin/actin cytoskeleton to treat cancer', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, San Francisco, CA, Vol. 27, presented at Annual Meeting of the American-Society-for-Cell-Biology (ASCB), San Francisco, CA, 03 - 07 December 2016 (link is external)

Stehn J; Mariana A; Failes T; Ashokakumar V; Eiffe E; Heaton A; Hook J; Sivanandhan D; Arndt G; Gunning P, 2016, 'Synergistic action of first-in-class anti-tropomyosin compound, ATM-3507 (Anisina) and microtubule targeting inhibitors in pre-clinical models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)', in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER, ELSEVIER SCI LTD, Munich, GERMANY, Vol. 69, pp. S116 - S116, presented at 28th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, Munich, GERMANY, 29 November - 02 December 2016 (link is external)

Jalilian I; Oldfield R; Gunning PW; Tate MLK, 2015, 'Live multiplexed imaging of stem cell mechanotransduction and mechanoadaptation.', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Vol. 26 (link is external)

Suchowerska A; Chen B; Mueller J; Ittner A; Hardeman E; Ittner L; Janitz M; Gunning P; Fath T, 2013, 'Increased levels of actin filaments containing the tropomyosin Tm5NM1 regulate excitotoxicity in the mouse', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Vol. 24 (link is external)

Patents

Gunning P; Stehn J; McCluskey A; Butler T; Dixon I, 2007, Compounds for treating Cancer, Australia, Patent No. Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2007906570, Patent Agent:

Gunning P; Stehn J; Schevzov G, 2005, Identification of compounds for the treatment of proliferative disorders, Australia, Patent No. Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2004906888, Patent Agent:

Conference Presentations

Jalilian I; Oldfield R; Gunning PW; Tate MLK, 2015, 'Live multiplexed imaging of stem cell mechanotransduction and mechanoadaptation', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Vol. 26 (link is external)

Jalilian I; Schevzov G; Fath T; Heu C; Bischof L; Vindin H; Stehn JR; Tate MK; Hardeman EC; Gunning PW, 2014, 'Determining the impact of the actin cytoskeleton on the mechanical properties of cells', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Philadelphia, PA, Vol. 25, presented at ASCB/IFCB Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 06 - 10 December 2014 (link is external)

Hardeman EC; Yang L; Kee AJ; Polishchuk E; Polishchuk R; Pleines I; Kile B; Weigert R; Gunning PW, 2014, 'A novel actin filament population defined by the tropomyosin Tm4 regulates ER-to-Golgi trafficking.', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Philadelphia, PA, Vol. 25, presented at ASCB/IFCB Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 06 - 10 December 2014 (link is external)

Brayford S; Schevzov G; Hardeman EC; Bear JE; Gunning PW, 2014, 'Tropomyosin 5a/b actin filaments collaborate with arp2/3 actin filaments to regulate cell motility.', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Philadelphia, PA, Vol. 25, presented at ASCB/IFCB Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 06 - 10 December 2014 (link is external)

Schevzov G; Wang B; Hook JW; Tonthat C; Pleines I; Kile B; Hardeman EC; Gunning PW, 2014, 'Distinct Actin Filament Networks Modulate Different Cell Signalling Pathways Involved in Cell Proliferation and Senescence.', in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, Philadelphia, PA, Vol. 25, presented at ASCB/IFCB Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 06 - 10 December 2014 (link is external)

Conference Abstracts

Stehn JR; Stevenson A; Spoerri L; Daignault SM; Gabrielli B; Eiffe E; Gunning PW; Haass N, 2016, 'Developing a new melanoma drug', in AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Vol. 57, pp. 11 - 12 (link is external)

Stehn J; Currier M; Chen D; Eiffe E; Heaton A; Hook J; Gunning P; Cripe T, 2016, 'First-in-class cytoskeletal targeting drug, Anisina, enhances effectiveness of microtubule inhibitors in a preclinical model of neuroblastoma', in CANCER RESEARCH, AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Vol. 76, presented at AACR Special Conference on Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research - From Mechanisms and Models to Treatment and Survivorship, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 09 - 12 November 2015 (link is external)

Obeidy P; Sobey TL; Pandzic E; Nicovich PR; Coster A; Gunning P; Boecking T, 2015, 'Actin Tropomyosin Assembly Intermediates', in BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, CELL PRESS, Vol. 108, pp. 298A - 298A (link is external)

Fath T; Brettle M; Janitz M; Gunning P, 2015, 'Manipulation of the actin cytoskeleton promotes neurite outgrowth on inhibitory substrates', in JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, Cairns, AUSTRALIA, Vol. 134, pp. 311 - 311, presented at 25th Biennial Meeting of the International-Society-for-Neurochemistry Jointly with the 13th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific-Society-for-Neurochemistry in Conjunction with the 35th Meeting of the Australa, Cairns, AUSTRALIA, 23 - 27 August 2015 (link is external)

Segueira VB; Stehn JR; Haass N; Bonello T; Guven K; Desouza M; Schevzov G; Kottyan G; McCluskey A; Bischof L, 2012, 'Improving the specificity of drugs which target the actin cytoskeleton for cancer therapy', in CANCER RESEARCH, AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH, Vol. 72 (link is external)

Socio-economic Objective (SEO) tags:

Cancer and Related Disorders

Human Pharmaceutical Treatments (e.g. Antibiotics)

Teaching & Supervision

I am available to supervise: