When it comes to hormones and neurotransmitters, oxytocin may have one of the best reputations of the lot. It creates social bonds, it’s released during hugs, and it reduces stress… it even has a cute nickname: the love hormone.
But for Florian (‘Flo’) Bachmann, a PhD candidate at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), oxytocin may not be as benevolent as its PR would suggest. Or, more specifically, the oxytocin receptor (OTR) may not always play nice when it interacts with cancer cells. He is investigating the surprising role that this hormone and its receptor may play in prostate cancer.
Any kind of breakthrough when it comes to treating prostate cancer could be life-changing for countless people.
Prostate cancer represents 17% of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia, making it the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the country. Around 1 in 5 Australian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with roughly 79 new cases diagnosed every day.
Prostate cancer accounts for 13% of cancer-related deaths in Australian men, second only to lung cancer. It’s estimated that more than 11 Australian men die each day from prostate cancer. Depending on his findings, this means Flo’s research could have broad and lifesaving implications for future generations.
Data from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
The ultimate question is whether the oxytocin receptor could be a new target for prostate cancer treatment. If it drives cancer growth or helps it spread, drugs designed to block it could one day offer a new option — particularly for patients whose cancer has stopped responding to existing therapies.
Exploring the possible link between prostate cancer and oxytocin
Inspired by existing evidence of the oxytocin receptor (OTR) being involved in breast cancer, Flo’s research team is looking at whether it behaves similarly in prostate tissue.
“My project investigates whether the oxytocin receptor is involved in how cancer starts in the prostate and spreads to other parts of the body,” he says.
The receptor is of particular interest to Flo and his team because they can artificially turn it up or down at various stages of a cancer's progress and measure if this slows or speeds up cell growth. This is a core element of his research, as it accounts for how prostate cancer behaves differently as it develops.
“Early on, it relies on male hormones like testosterone to grow… but over time, it can evolve into a more aggressive form that no longer needs those hormones and becomes much harder to treat,” says Flo.
“So, this project is examining how the oxytocin receptor behaves across all of these stages, using cancer cells grown in the lab to represent each one.”
If his research reveals a significant correlation between OTR and prostate cancer, Flo believes it could lead scientists to investigate a whole new avenue of treatment.
“This analysis will contribute to a deeper understanding of oxytocin and its receptor’s involvement in prostate cancer development and progression, and it may establish a novel therapeutic target.”
Flo’s collaborative PhD experience
Flo is completing his PhD at IMB under the multidisciplinary guidance of two supervisors:
- Associate Professor Markus Muttenthaler, a medicinal chemist working across chemistry and biology
- Dr Jyotsna Batra, a professor of genetics at Bond University with a focus on cancer genomics.
While Flo’s primary research group with Markus focuses mainly on peptide chemistry and developing ligands for various bioactive receptors (including oxytocin receptors), his work with Jyotsna looks more at genetics and cancer biology.
“This has given me a great opportunity to combine these fields,” he says.
“And the collaboration between different research institutes – IMB and the Translational Research Institute (TRI) – offers a lot of room for scientific research as well.”
What led Flo to studying a PhD at UQ?
Flo has been curious about science for as long as he can remember, with a deep drive for learning about nature and the body. Once he finished school, this fascination persisted and gradually became more specific.
“During my first years in university, I became very interested in cancer in general,” he says.
“After I got more into molecular biology, I got very passionate about cancer research and cell biology.”
Flo was working in industry prior to his PhD, where he had fantastic colleagues who supported him with many opportunities to keep learning. This experience and support inspired him to eventually get back into academic research, where he knew he could continue pursuing the topics that most fascinated him.
“A PhD means the flexibility to explore a field quite freely,” he says.
“Academia gives this incredible freedom – especially during a PhD, where you can deeply delve into a field and explore so many different pathways.”
“Doing a PhD lets you take fascinating paths, including paths nobody has ever taken before. It gives you the opportunity to learn a lot of new research techniques, but also soft skills such as independence and organisation, which are truly valuable for anything after your PhD – both within academia and beyond.”
Ready to embark on your own research journey?
