Download The Canadian Cancer Society and Brain Canada fund six new

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ForreleaseonFebruary28 ,2017
NEWSRELEASE
TheCanadianCancerSocietyandBrainCanadafundsixnewresearchprojects
Montreal,February28th,2017.TheCanadianCancerSocietyandBrainCanada(withfinancialsupportfrom
HealthCanadathroughtheCanadaBrainResearchFund)areproudtoannouncethefundingofsixnew
multi-disciplinaryandmulti-institutionalresearchprojectsundertheCCS’Innovation,InnovationtoImpact
andImpactgrantcompetitions.Thepartnerswillawardatotalofalmost$2.5Mtosixresearchteamsto
supportinnovativeandcreativeproblemsolving,aswellassignificantprogression,inbrainandspinalcord
cancerresearch.
Based in Ontario and Saskatchewan, the six distinguished research teams totalling 20 researchers will
developnewdiagnostictools,includingmoreeffectiveimagingtechniques,andnewtherapiesforbrainand
spinalcordcancer.
“The partnership between the Canadian Cancer Society and Brain Canada encourages collaboration
between scientists from both the cancer and brain research fields. The projects selected through this
program have the potential to advance our understanding of brain cancer, and ultimately improve the
qualityoflifeandtreatmentofpeopleaffectedbybraincancer,”saidInezJabalpurwala,PresidentandCEO
oftheBrainCanadaFoundation.
“Thereisacriticalneedformoreresearchinbraincancer.Weareverygratefulforourpartnershipwith
BrainCanada,aswellasourgenerousdonors,toenableCanadianscientiststomakesignificant
contributionstoimprovingdiagnosisandtreatmentofbraincancer,”saidDr.MichaelWortzman,
AssistantDirector,ResearchProgramsfromtheCanadianCancerSociety.
BrainCanadafundsareprovidedthroughapublic-privatepartnershipwithHealthCanada,knownasthe
CanadaBrainResearchFund.
SixprojectsforbraincancerinCanada
QuantitativeMRIasabiomarkeroftumourresistancetoradiationtreatmentinbrainmetastasis
GregStanisz(SunnybrookHospital),ArjunSahgal,HanySolimanandKimDesmond(OdetteCancerCentre
–SunnybrookHealthSciencesCentre,andHatefMehrabianandAngusLau(SunnybrookResearchInstitute)
$441,000overthreeyears
Cancerthathasspreadtothebraincanbetreatedwithtargetedhigh-doseradiation.However,itisdifficult
totellearlyonifthetumourisrespondingtotherapy.WiththesupportofanInnovationGrant,Dr.Greg
Stanisz’teamshowedthatnewmedicalresonanceimaging(MRI)techniquescoulddetecttumourresponse
asearlyasoneweekaftertreatment.TheteamwillnowextendtheseMRIstudiestodifferentiatebetween
tumour progression and radiation side effects, which can look similar in medical scans but require very
differenttreatments.Thesenewtechniquesmayhelpdoctorsadjustandimprovetreatmentplans.
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Thefeasibilityofhyperpolarized13C-PyruvateMRIformonitoringpatientswithintracranialmetastasis
Charles Cunningham (Sunnybrook Research Institute), Arjun Saghal and Hany Soliman (Odette Cancer
Centre–SunnybrookHealthSciencesCentre),andMichaelChan(SunnybrookHealthSciencesCentre)
$187,915overthreeyears
Surgeryandradiationarestandardtreatmentsforcancerthathasspreadtothebrain.Recentresearchhas
revealedthatcancercellswithhighlevelsofthechemicallactateareaggressiveandresistradiationtherapy.
Dr.CharlesCunningham’steamwillstudywhetheranenhancedimagingmethodthatcandetectlactate
can help predict how cancer in the brain will behave. They will compare it to other routine imaging
techniquesusedtoassesspeopleaffectedbybraincancerbeforebrainradiationtherapy.Thisnewmethod
mayhelptailortreatmentplanstoprolongsurvival.
Integrativediscoveryofionchannelsasdrugtargetsinglioblastoma
JüriReimand(OntarioInstituteforCancerResearch)andXiHuang(SickKidsResearchInstitute)
$196,000overtwoyears
Manydifferentdiseasesaretreatedwithdrugsthatactontunnelsthatpassthroughthecell’ssurfaceand
allowittogenerateelectricalsignals.Sofar,thesechannelshavenotbeenthetargetofcancerdrugs.Dr.
JüriReimand’steamwillidentifywhichchannelsareabnormalincancerandcanbetargetedwithdrugs
currentlyusedtotreatotherdiseases.Theywillthenstudytheroleofthesechannelsinglioblastoma–an
aggressive form of brain cancer – and test promising drugs in the lab. This could rapidly lead to new
therapeuticoptionsforhardtotreatbraincancer.
MolecularcharacterizationoftranscriptionalrepressorcapicuainGBM
KennethAldapeandSeveraBunda(PrincessMargaretCancerCentre–UHN)
$196,000overtwoyears
The capicua (CIC) protein acts as a brake on cell growth in normal cells. This brake is often lost in
glioblastoma,anaggressiveformofbraincancer,butlittleelseisknownaboutitsroleincancer.Dr.Kenneth
Aldape’steamwillstudytheimpactofCIClossinglioblastomaandwhetherthiscancauseresistanceto
therapiesthathavesofarhaddisappointingresultsinpeopleaffectedbybraincancer.Understandingthese
newaspectsofbraincancerbiologywillhelpresearchersdevelopnewtreatmentsforthesehardtotreat
tumours.
Using synthetic antibody parts to construct antibody-based imaging devices – anti-EGFR molecular
targetedimagingprobesfordiagnosingandmonitoringglioblastoma
Clarence Geyer and Humphrey Fonge (University of Saskatchewan), and Vijayananda Kundapur
(SaskatchewanCancerAgency–SaskatoonCancerCentre)
$195,968overtwoyears
Diagnostic features of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, are difficult to visualize using
standardmedicalimagingtechniques.GiventhatglioblastomacellsdisplayhighlevelsoftheEGFRprotein
ontheirsurface,Dr.ClarenceGeyer’steamwillgeneratenewimagingmoleculesthatcandetectEGFRin
glioblastomaanddisplayitonapositronemissiontomography(PET)scan.Theseimagingtoolscouldbe
usedtoimproveglioblastomadetectionanddiagnosisandtoguidesurgery.
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Advancingbiologybasedtherapiesforrhabdoidbraintumours
AnnieHuang,JamesRutkaandEricBouffet(TheHospitalforSickChildren),CherylArrowsmith(University
ofToronto),andDanielDeCarvalho(PrincessMargaretCancerCentre-UHN)
$1,214,047overfiveyears
Rhabdoidbraintumoursarethemostcommonbraincancersininfants.Usuallytheseaggressivetumours
aretreatedwithintensechemotherapyandradiationtherapy,whichcanhaveserioussideeffects.Dr.Annie
Huang’s team found that these brain tumours come in 2 forms, including one that can be cured using
chemotherapyalone.Herteamwillnowdevelopatesttodistinguishbetweenthe2forms.Shewillalso
determinewhichdrugsarethemosteffectiveagainsteachformofthecancerinthelab.Thiswillformthe
foundationforaclinicaltrialofpersonalizedtreatments.
AbouttheCanadianCancerSociety
TheCanadianCancerSocietyisthelargestnationalcharitablefunderofcancerresearchinCanada.Thanks
toourgenerousdonorsandourrigorous,gold-standardpeer-reviewprocess,wearefundinghundredsof
researchersinuniversities,hospitalsandresearchcentresacrossCanada.TheSocietyhasthemostimpact,
againstthemostcancers,inthemostcommunitiesinCanada.Togetherwearediscoveringnewwaysto
change cancer forever. For more information, visit www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free bilingual Cancer
InformationServiceat1-888-939-3333(TTY1-866-786-3934).
AboutBrainCanadaandtheCanadaBrainResearchFund
BrainCanadaisanationalnon-profitorganizationheadquarteredinMontreal,Quebec,thatenablesand
supports transformative, original and outstanding brain research in Canada. For more than one decade,
BrainCanadahasmadethecaseforthebrainasasingle,complexsystemwithcommonalitiesacrossthe
rangeofneurologicaldisorders,mentalillnessesandaddictions,brainandspinalcordinjuries.Lookingat
the brain as one system has underscored the need for increased collaboration across disciplines and
institutions, and a smarter way to invest in brain research that is focused on outcomes that will benefit
peoplewithlivedexperienceandfamilies.BrainCanada’svisionistounderstandthebrain,inhealthand
illness,toimprovelivesandachievesocietalimpact.
TheCanadaBrainResearchFundisapublic-privatepartnershipestablishedbetweenBrainCanadaand
HealthCanadatoencourageCanadianstoincreasetheirsupportofbrainresearch,andmaximizethe
impactandefficiencyofthoseinvestments.BrainCanadaisraising$120millionfromprivateandnonfederalsources,whichisbeingmatchedbytheGovernmentofCanadaona1:1basis.TheFundsupports
“the very best Canadian neuroscience, fostering collaborative research and accelerating the pace of
discovery,inordertoimprovethehealthandqualityoflifeofCanadianswhosufferfrombraindisorders.”
Formoreinformation:www.braincanada.ca.
TheviewsexpressedhereindonotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsofHealthCanada.
Source:
RosieHales
CommunicationsSpecialist
CanadianCancerSociety
Tel.:(416)934-5338
[email protected]
www.cancer.ca
KatarinaStojkovic
CommunicationsOfficer
BrainCanadaFoundation
Tel.:(514)989-2989,ext.110
[email protected]
www.braincanada.ca
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