Developing cancer vaccines
Dr Claude Perreault is leading a team that expects to develop cancer vaccines in the next few years. A research breakthrough in 2018 led to the discovery of cancer-specific antigens, which allow the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. After successfully shrinking tumours in mice using vaccines containing these cancer-specific antigens, Dr Perreault’s team expect the first clinical trials to begin within the next two years.
“There won't be one vaccine for all cancers or for all types of cancers. But we think now it is possible to have one vaccine for, for example, all patients with breast cancer or all those with lung cancer. So, one vaccine per cancer type,” Dr Perreault explains.
Dr Perreault’s team hopes their cancer vaccines will offer 3 major benefits: they could help cure people with even resistant types of cancer, cause fewer side effects compared to treatments like chemotherapy and be affordable thanks to an off-the-shelf design that doesn’t require customization for each patient.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy for people living with advanced cancer
Dr Linda Carlson and her team aim to transform end-of-life care for millions of people with advanced cancer. Anxiety and depression are often treated with therapy or medication and although both can help, they take time and may not work well for everyone.
That’s why Dr Carlson and her colleagues are studying how therapy can be combined with psychedelic medicines like psilocybin to offer faster, more effective help.
Psychedelic treatment can help people change the way they think and feel, replacing negative patterns with more positive ones. Early trials have shown that even a single dose of psilocybin can relieve symptoms like depression. Dr Carlson and her team will work to make psychedelic-assisted cancer therapy a more accessible treatment across Canada.
Read about psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with advanced cancer.
Developing a new breast cancer imaging method
Getting accurate images of breast cancer is essential for choosing the right treatment, especially for cancer caused by estrogen. This is why Dr Eric Turcotte is leading a research team to test a new imaging method that shows these tumours more clearly than current scans.
The imaging technique, called 4FMFES-PET, uses a special tracer liquid that is injected into the bloodstream. When the tracer finds a cell expressing estrogen receptors, it stays there. This method is proving to be especially effective for lobular breast cancer, which commonly has high estrogen receptors. Early results have found cancer even when older methods have not. “Now we’re scanning from head to toe – anywhere the cancer can hide, we’re able to see it,” Dr Turcotte says. If the research continues to show strong results, 4FMFES-PET could enhance or even replace current scanning methods to help people make more informed decisions about cancer treatment.
Developing a pain-free test for bladder cancer detection
Bladder cancer is usually found through invasive and painful imaging, which involves inserting a camera through the urethra. To spare people from the discomfort, Dr Francois-Michel Boisvert and his team are developing a simple, pain-free test that only requires a urine sample.
Aside from causing discomfort, bladder imaging can also be costly and inconvenient. The test is usually performed in a hospital by a specialist, which requires time, travel and healthcare resources.
“A test like this would significantly improve the lives of bladder cancer patients, who currently go through this procedure every three months,” explains Dr Boisvert. “Some patients even refuse it. For them, any alternative test would be better than nothing.”
The team have identified 4 proteins in urine that signal the presence of cancer. They are now testing their discovery in a group of about 1,000 patients and so far, the results are promising. Based on early findings, the team have already begun designing a rapid test kit that people can use at home.
Customizing cancer care with liquid biopsy tests
What if a simple blood test could tell your doctor everything they needed to know to personalize your cancer treatment? Dr Julia Burnier is working toward a new type of test called a liquid biopsy to customize cancer care. While traditional biopsies involve surgery to remove pieces of tissue from the tumour to study, liquid biopsies use samples of blood, saliva or urine instead.
“We are in an era of targeted therapies – moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and moving towards giving the right treatment at the right time,” says Dr Burnier. “One of the challenges is that cancer is constantly evolving and changing. Traditional biopsies are invasive, costly and only give us a static view of a patient’s disease. Liquid biopsy fills this gap – offering a non-invasive alternative that can be repeated over time.”
By understanding the disease at molecular level in real time, liquid biopsies would make it possible to customize cancer treatment.
“This means we give only the treatment needed when it’s needed. This will improve care but also have significant impact on quality of life of those living with cancer,” Dr Burnier says.
Increasing colon cancer survival through exercise
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Canada. Dr Christopher Booth, Dr Kerry Courneya and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) are leading the first clinical trial in the world that uses structured exercise to increase cancer survival.
The findings of the CCTG CO21 Challenge clinical trial show that a structured exercise program can reduce rates of recurrence, mortality and developing a new primary cancer for people with colon cancer.
The 17-year-long international study involved 889 people across 55 hospitals in 6 countries. After having surgery and chemotherapy, participants were given a 3-year structured exercise program or standard health education materials that are currently given to patients. The researchers hope to bring the findings of their study into the standard of cancer care.
Read about increasing colon cancer survival through exercise.
Targeting dormant ovarian cancer cells to stop recurrence
When ovarian cancer is found, it’s usually already at an advanced stage. Even after responding to treatment, the tumours often come back – possibly because some cancer cells become dormant after the first successful treatments.
Dr Francis Rodier is leading a team that is studying ways to target dormant cancer cells to prevent a recurrence. To achieve this, the team is using brand new technologies to search for vulnerabilities in dormant cancer cells.
One of the outcomes the team is working toward is discovering new biomarkers that will allow them to find the dormant state and know in advance which people are at risk of recurrence. The time at which the disease would come back is also something that they are hoping to come out of their research.
Read about preventing ovarian cancer from coming back.
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