Two BC Cancer research teams are 2024 recipients of the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants (PPG), receiving new and renewal funding to advance cancer research and improve treatments.
Project: Integrated Immunotherapy for Ovarian Cancer
One of this year’s newly funded teams is based in Victoria and led by Dr. Brad Nelson.
Dr. Nelson, a BC Cancer Research Institute distinguished scientist and director of the Deeley Research Centre, will lead a team studying the immune system to improve treatments for high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
“This PPG funding allows us to take a fresh look at the problem, exploring beyond T cells to include B cells and Natural Killer cells,” says Dr. Nelson. “For us, it’s about coming up with new ideas for immunotherapy that we can move into clinical trials. Over the next four years, we want to go beyond generating ideas and making discoveries to develop actual therapies that can reach patients.”
Project: Exploiting Pathogenic Mechanisms in Acute Leukemia for Clinical Translation
Renewal funds were awarded to a Vancouver-based research team led by Dr. Aly Karsan.
Dr. Karsan, a distinguished scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, leads a team that has received renewal funding to take their research to the next level. With this funding, they will explore the non-genetic mechanisms of leukemia seeking to better understand why these cancers don’t respond to current therapies.
"In cancer research, while DNA mutations are a key focus, our recent work has shown that not all answers lie within the DNA sequence alone. We've discovered that chemical changes to the DNA, known as epigenomic changes, don't alter the genetic code but affect which parts of the genome are active,” explains Dr. Karsan. “With this new funding, we aim to investigate how these epigenomic changes influence leukemia’s behaviour and treatment response.”
Projects were evaluated for scientific excellence and potential for impact by committees of international experts. This objective process not only guarantees that the Terry Fox Research Institute funds the highest-quality research, but also highlights Canadian cancer research on a global stage.
This article has been adapted from its original version. Read the Terry Fox Research Institute article here.