$2M funding supports cancer research in BC

Vancouver, BC – Four grants worth $1.668 million have been awarded by the Canadian Cancer Society to support cancer research in British Columbia. The projects cover a broad spectrum of cancer research from risk reduction to genetic studies to drug development and palliative care.

The grant recipients include:

Dr Raymond Andersen, UBC ($420,527): The study looks to the world’s oceans as a resource for new, naturally occurring anti-cancer substances. The goal of this project is to discover new organic compounds that are present in marine invertebrates and microorganisms to develop new drug treatments for cancer, with a particular focus on advanced stage prostate cancer.

Dr Lawrence McIntosh, UBC ($392,839): Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Dr McIntosh is studying the structure of several proteins – ETS factors – that are part of the molecular machines that read the genes encoded within DNA. The project will examine how ETS factors work in normal cells and why cancers result when they are modified with the ultimate goal of developing new diagnostic tests and drug targets.

Dr Winson Cheung, BC Cancer Agency ($423, 000): With improvements in cancer survival rates there are a growing number of cancer survivors, many of whom will become long-term survivors facing new risks related to their health such as heart disease, diabetes or osteoporosis. Using large databases in BC that contain information about cancer, medical procedures, doctors’ visits and medication use, Dr Cheung is leading the first large-scale study of its kind to investigate whether adult cancer survivors are receiving appropriate preventive care. The results of this work will inform the development of future health policies and programs.

Dr Gang Li, UBC ($423, 000): The role of ING tumour suppressors in nucleotide excision repair Dr Li’s research team is investigating the molecular mechanisms that help to repair DNA after it has been damaged by ultraviolet light (UV), a key risk factor for skin cancer. Their study will look at how growth-inhibiting proteins work together to repair DNA, influence the body’s ability to recognize UV-damaged DNA and how they facilitate the ability of repair proteins to do their job.

The projects are part of 52 new research projects worth more than $21 million announced recently by the society.