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Leader in data access and CEO of DNAstack, Dr. Marc Fiume, joins OICR as its newest Associate

Dr. Marc Fume poses for a photo in an atrium

Formalizing his longstanding relationship with OICR, Dr. Marc Fiume joins the Institute as an Associate to turn big data into a cure

“We know there are valuable – potentially life-saving – genomics and clinical data that are locked away in the sever rooms in hospital basements,” says Dr. Marc Fiume, CEO of DNAstack, Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, and OICR’s newest Associate. “We’re working to make these data more findable, accessible and useful to help researchers find cures for diseases faster than ever before.”

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Join the OICR community in having fun and raising funds for the Terry Fox Foundation at the Great Canadian Hair “Do”

Participants of last year's event pose for a group photo.

On Friday, September 14 at noon, a team of OICR staff members and others from the community will once again take part in the one-of-a-kind Great Canadian Hair “Do” in support of The Terry Fox Foundation. The team will have their heads shaved or have their hair styled in an outrageous fashion in the atrium of the south tower of the MaRS Centre. As part of the event, the crowd will hear from a cancer survivor and a cancer researcher to learn about the importance of cancer research fundraising and funding.

Last year the team raised more than $8,500. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to make a difference! If you are interested in participating in an unforgettable event, while helping a good cause, visit the OICR team website to register. MaRS is a community partner for the Great Canadian Hair Do.

To join the team or to donate, visit: http://www.terryfox.ca/OICRHairDo2018

 

BioLab helps scientists get the most out of Ontario’s cancer research infrastructure

A technician works in OICR pathology lab

Over the past decade, OICR’s laboratories have procured state-of-the-art equipment and developed leading-edge technologies to help answer pressing cancer research questions. The effective and proper use of advanced laboratory tools is dependent on specialized knowledge and skills on the part of the operator. OICR’s platform for laboratory training, BioLab, is ensuring that Ontario’s cancer researchers have the knowledge they need to explore the full potential of some of the province’s most advanced cancer research equipment.

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New funding for the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network will help more cancer patients access clinical trials

Toronto (July 11, 2018) – The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership) today announced renewed funding for the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN). The funding will ensure Canada remains a world leader in academic cancer clinical trials, help to increase opportunities for patients to receive promising new treatments and continue to improve outcomes for cancer patients through research.

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Targeting epigenetic proteins could help prevent breast cancer

Dr. Julie Livingstone

Researchers further clarify the role of epigenetic proteins in the development of breast cancer, and discover that inhibiting these proteins could prevent the disease in women at high risk.

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Researchers find early indicators of leukemia in genomes up to 10 years before symptoms surfaced

Immature blood cells in leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) progresses quickly and requires treatment soon after diagnosis, but the disease begins long before becoming symptomatic. Early indicators of AML were thought to be indistinguishable from healthy aging. But now, an international group of researchers led in part by Dr. Sagi Abelson, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. John Dick at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, has discovered distinctive traces of AML in patients up to 10 years before they were diagnosed with the disease.

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New institute to make chronic disease prevention across Canada BETTER

Dr. Eva Grunfeld

The BETTER program has been awarded almost $3 million to train primary care providers as prevention experts across Canada

As the number of Canadians at risk of cancer and other chronic diseases continues to grow, so does the need for health professionals to deliver effective disease prevention and screening recommendations.

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Healthcare Software Start-Up Ziliomics Financed by FACIT

World-leading genomics cloud computing group builds clinical tool for cancer care in Ontario

TORONTO, ON (June 27, 2018) – Ziliomics Inc., a start-up created by FACIT, received seed financing from the Prospects Oncology Fund. Derived from a leading oncology bio-computing group and leveraging insights from the world’s largest cancer genomics projects, Ziliomics develops web-based, modular software platforms that help physicians make actionable treatment decisions for patients living with cancer. Together with FACIT’s interim executive management model, the capital advances the development of Heliotrope, Ziliomics’ lead software product, and positions the company for corporate partnerships and additional financing. Financing terms were not disclosed.

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New OICR President and Scientific Director comments on breakthrough in breast cancer T-cell immunotherapy

Dr. Laszlo Radvanyi

For the first time, a patient’s late-stage breast cancer has been successfully treated with T-cell immunotherapy. This cutting-edge approach, which is currently in clinical trials in the U.S., modified the patient’s naturally-occurring immune cells to fight her tumours that had spread throughout her body. The patient has been cancer free for the past two years and her remarkable tumour regression represents the potential impact of this new immunotherapeutic approach.

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New guidelines for HER2 testing in breast cancer

An image of the HER2 protein.

Current HER2 tests help predict which breast cancer patients will respond to HER2-targeted therapies, but sometimes these tests provide unclear results. An Expert Panel of pathologists and cancer researchers, including Dr. John Bartlett from OICR, recently published revised clinical practice guidelines for HER2 testing in breast cancer to help improve clarity of HER2 test results.

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