OICR Invests $3.1 Million in New Cancer Therapies
The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) has allocated $3.1 million over two years to four Ontario-based research teams through its Cancer Therapeutics Innovation Pipeline (CTIP) program. This substantial funding is intended to advance the development of new cancer therapies designed for increased effectiveness, reduced side effects, and decreased recurrence rates, directly addressing critical issues such as current treatment side effects and drug resistance.
OICR's CTIP Program: Driving Innovation
The CTIP program is a cornerstone of OICR's Therapeutic Innovation research theme, dedicated to supporting drug discovery and fostering collaborations with institutions across Ontario. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the delivery of life-changing cancer therapies to patients.
Dr. Lincoln Stein, Acting Scientific Director at OICR, stated that these grants are a vital part of OICR's ongoing efforts to tackle pervasive issues such as severe side effects and drug resistance in cancer treatment.
Patient perspectives are central to the program's mission. Terry Hawrysh, a CTIP patient partner, underscored the urgent need for faster access to novel therapies that offer improved options and better outcomes, all while significantly minimizing severe side effects.
Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, affirmed the government's strong support for OICR's pioneering initiatives in developing cutting-edge cancer treatments.
Applications to the CTIP program undergo a rigorous review process by an expert panel composed of leading professionals from both academia and industry. This panel not only evaluates proposals but also provides crucial scientific and strategic guidance to the awarded teams. The selected research projects are characterized by their innovative therapeutic approaches, informed by the latest insights into cancer biology.
Pioneering Research: The Four Awarded Projects
Four distinct and promising projects have received funding, each targeting specific cancers and employing groundbreaking therapeutic strategies.
Inhibiting Oncogenic Transcription Factor-Cofactor Interaction
Dr. David Andrews, from Sunnybrook Research Institute, is leading a project focused on a critical target: a cancer-driving "master regulator" protein. This protein has been definitively linked to poor patient outcomes and currently lacks any approved therapies. The innovative approach involves disrupting its interaction with a stabilizing partner protein to trigger its destruction and selectively eliminate cancer cells. The team's immediate goal is to optimize compound screening to develop a first-in-class therapy for tumors dependent on this elusive protein.
Targeting Breast and Ovarian Cancer: New "Frankenprotein" Drugs Against Old Diseases
Dr. Jumi Shin, at the University of Toronto (Mississauga), is at the forefront of developing a new class of protein-based drugs, creatively termed "frankenproteins." These ingenious drugs are specifically designed to enter cancer cells and disrupt a major cancer network active in over 70% of tumors. Promisingly, early versions of these drugs have already shown success in slowing tumor growth in aggressive triple-negative breast cancer models. The ultimate objective is to provide safer and more effective treatments for breast and ovarian cancers, especially for patients with limited options or those battling drug resistance.
From Surface Profiling to Precision Therapy in Leukemia
Dr. Anastasia Tikhonova, from University Health Network, is dedicated to creating highly targeted therapies for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive blood cancer. Her team is meticulously identifying a unique surface marker present predominantly on leukemia cells but notably absent from healthy immune cells. This discovery will allow them to design precise antibody drugs or engineered immune cells that selectively target cancer cells while meticulously sparing normal T-cells. This groundbreaking approach seeks to offer more effective and significantly less toxic treatments for T-ALL patients, particularly those facing relapsed or treatment-resistant disease.
A Therapeutic Strategy Targeting Lipid Metabolism: The Discovery of Novel BBB-Penetrable Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma
Dr. Sheila Singh, from McMaster University, is focusing on a crucial metabolic vulnerability in Group 3 medulloblastoma, which is described as the most aggressive form of a common childhood brain tumor. The project aims to block an enzyme essential for tumor fat production, an enzyme that is crucially not critical for normal neural stem cells. The team plans to develop orally available inhibitors specifically engineered to cross the blood-brain barrier. This strategic approach holds significant potential to improve survival rates, drastically reduce reliance on toxic treatments, and provide much-needed options for children with resistant disease.