$5M supports research into stem cell behaviour

Vancouver, BC – The BC Cancer Agency’s Terry Fox Laboratory says it has received a $5-million grant from the Terry Fox Foundation, through the National Cancer Institute of Canada, for research on normal and leukemic stem cells.

Five senior scientists will work together to examine the unique behaviour of stem cells and determine how stem cell behaviour is altered in leukemia with the goal of developing new therapies.

“Terry attempted to run across Canada in 1980 because of the national need to increase support for cancer research ” and that need is still a reality today,” says Darrell Fox, national director of the Terry Fox Foundation. “The BC Cancer Agency’s team was one of only three Terry Fox Program Projects approved for funding this year, confirming the quality of the science and the potential impact their work will have on improving cancer outcomes.”

The research program incorporates five separate studies that utilize multiple model organisms, cell models and techniques. The studies are led by Drs Keith Humphries, Connie Eaves, Peter Lansdorp, Gerry Krystal and Andrew Weng.

“We’re essentially decoding stem cell behaviour from various angles,” says Dr Eaves, director of the Terry Fox Laboratory. “This programmatic grant allows us to combine our expertise in order to find answers much faster.”