John Dick

Program Leader, Cancer Stem Cells Program

Research Description

Recent research has demonstrated that a subset of cancer cells called cancer stem cells survive treatment as they are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Cancer stem cells are responsible for the creation of new tumours and metastases even years after the initial diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Ontario scientists pioneered this new field of cancer research through the identification of cancer stem cells for leukemia, colon and brain cancer. The Cancer Stem Cells Program, headed by Dr. John Dick, aims to identify cancer stem cells for various types of cancer and develop therapies to target these cells to prevent recurrence and lessen the toxicity of cancer treatment.

Contact Information

Telephone
+1 (416) 581 7730
Mailing Address
Primary Lab
MaRS Centre Toronto Medical Discovery Tower 8th Floor Room 8-401
101 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M5G 1L7
Primary Office
MaRS Centre Toronto Medical Discovery Tower 8th Floor Room 8-355
101 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M5G 1L7
Additional Contacts
Ms. Melissa Cooper
Melissa Cooper, Program Manager, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR)
+1 (416) 581 7730

Current

2007 - Program Leader, Cancer Stem Cells Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR).
2007 - Investigator, McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network.
2002 - Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Biology, Senior Scientist, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University Health Network.
1995 - Professor, Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto.

Background

1996 - 2001Medical Research, Council of Canada Scientist.
1991 - 2002Senior Scientist, Department of Genetics, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children.
1989 - 1996Research Scientist of the, National Cancer Institute of Canada.
1984 - 1986Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. A. Bernstein, Ontario Cancer Institute and Mount Sinai Hospital, Research Institute, University of Toronto, Medical Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship.
1984PhD Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Manitoba.

Selected Bibliography

  • O’Brien CA, Pollett A, Gallinger S, Dick JE. A human colon cancer cell capable of initiating tumour growth in immunodeficient mice. Nature Jan 2007, 4;445(7123):106-102006. Epub 2006 Nov 19.
    • McKenzie J, Gan OI, Doedens M, Wang JCY, Dick JE. Individual stem cells with highly variable proliferation and self-renewal properties comprise the human hematopoietic stem cell compartment. Nature Immunology. 2006, Nov; 7(11):1225-33.
      • Pereira DS, Dorrell CS, Ito CY, Gan OI, Murdoch B, Rao VN, Zou JP, Reddy ESP, Dick JE. Retroviral transduction of TLS-ERG initiates a leukemogenic program in normal human hematopietic cells. Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci. USA. 1998; 95: 8239-8244.
        • Lapidot T, Sirard C, Vormoor J, Pflumio F, Hoang T, Caceres-Cortes J, Minden M, Patterson B, Caligiuri M, Dick JE. A cell initiating human acute myeloid leukaemia after transplantation into SCID mice. Nature. 1994;367:645-648.
          • Kamel-Reid, S and Dick, JE. Engraftment of immune-deficient mice with human hematopoietic stem cells. Science 1988;242:1706-1709.