Results of the Emerging Scholar Research Grant Competition – Pillar 1 Research
Funding results of the Emerging Scholar Research Grant Competition – Pillar 1
Stopping cancer cells from spreading through the body
Loïc Binan | Jewish General Hospital
Most cancer cells transition between two different states, one for reproducing and one for spreading. Some cells have traits of both states at once, helping them to metastasize and resist treatment. Dr Loïc Binan is studying the genes that control each state in breast cancer. His goal: to lock cells into one or the other state to help prevent metastasis and make cancer easier to treat.
Tracking glioblastoma stem cells to find new treatments
Reza Mirzaei | University of Alberta
Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer with few treatment options and no approved immunotherapies. Dr Reza Mirzaei’s team is studying glioblastoma stem cells, which drive tumour growth and suppress anti-cancer immune responses. Using genetic tagging to track tumour cell behaviour, they aim to learn how glioblastoma shuts off immune cells and how to turn them back on, paving the way for new treatments and improved outcomes for people with glioblastoma.
Understanding breast cancer cells’ “sleep mode”
Jason Northey | University of Alberta
Certain breast cancer cells can enter “sleep mode” and hide, only to return years after treatment. Dr Jason Northey and his team are studying how tissue stiffness and hormone signals influence where these cells hide and what reactivates them, with the goal of preventing cancer recurrence and saving lives.
Working directly with patient partners changes the entire dynamic of our work. Patient insights and lived experiences provide a critical compass to focus our efforts on practical discoveries that can eliminate the fear of cancer returning and improve the lives of the people who need it most.
— Jason Northey, Understanding breast cancer cells’ “sleep mode”
University of Alberta – Edmonton, AB
Targeting leukemia resistance and preventing relapse
Cédric Tremblay | University of Manitoba
Most people respond well to leukemia treatment, but a small number of cancer cells often survive and cause relapse. Dr Cédric Tremblay’s team is combining advanced genetic models to understand how leukemia begins with personalized patient avatars to test real-world treatments. By pinpointing the leukemia cells that resist treatment and uncovering their weaknesses, this work aims to reduce the need for toxic treatments, minimize the risk of relapse and improve outcomes and quality of life for people with acute leukemia.
Improving the accuracy of urine DNA tests for bladder cancer
Gillian Vandekerkhove | University of British Columbia
Many people with early-stage bladder cancer undergo frequent, invasive tests to monitor their disease. Dr Gillian Vandekerkhove’s team is improving non-invasive urine DNA testing by studying which changes in urine DNA signal the presence of cancer or give information about treatment response. Making these tests more accurate and reliable could reduce the need for uncomfortable procedures and improve quality of life for people with bladder cancer.
Targeting inflammation to treat tough blood cancers
Stephanie Xie | Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
AML, a hard-to-treat blood cancer, is on the rise. Although this cancer is driven by inflammation, researchers don’t currently understand how and there are no anti-inflammatory treatments in use for AML. Dr Stephanie Xie is studying the inflammation cycle in AML to better understand which cancers will respond to treatment. She also plans to test an existing drug with anti-inflammatory properties, GLP1-RA, as a potential treatment for AML – and perhaps eventually other inflammation-driven cancers.
Some of the most important insights in cancer research come from the people living through it. Our partners bring both lived experience and caregiving experience, giving us a unique understanding of the challenges patients and families face during bladder cancer treatment. Their involvement has shaped the design of our future trials and of our biobanking strategy while their questions have highlighted areas of unmet need and inequity that deserve greater attention. This project truly would not be the same without their input.
— Éva Michaud, Better tests and treatments to prevent bladder cancer recurrence
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre – Montréal, QC
Faster, cheaper and easier treatment for blood cancers
Yale Michaels | University of Manitoba
Harinad Maganti | University of Ottawa
CAR T cell therapy is an effective treatment for many blood cancers – but it is expensive, time-consuming and difficult to make. As a result, many people who might benefit from CAR T cell therapy are unable to receive it. Dr Yale Michaels and Dr Harinad Maganti have developed a way to create T cells from umbilical cord stem cells. Now, their team is working on turning those cells into a viable alternative to traditional CAR T cell therapy, which will make treatment faster, cheaper and easier for all people with blood cancer to access.
Better tests and treatments to prevent bladder cancer recurrence
Éva Michaud | RI-MUHC
Côme Tholomier | Jewish General Hospital
Bladder cancer is a common cancer that often returns within a few years of treatment. Right now, there is no good way to predict when the cancer will return. Dr Éva Michaud and Dr Côme Tholomier are studying an immune system molecule called IgA that may help doctors identify the people who are most at risk of recurrence, create new treatment strategies and develop precision immunotherapies to better treat bladder cancer.