Homegrown research team sequences genome of iconic Canadian animal – the beaver

This content was contributed by our partners at SickKids.

They were diligent, methodical, meticulous. They overcame obstacles large and small and applied available resources to try to achieve an ambitious goal. When they needed to move beyond existing resources, they pushed the limits and modified them. Channelling some of the most distinctive traits of the quintessentially Canadian symbol they were studying, a team of Canadian scientists has made an indelible mark on the history of this country – and beyond – just in time to kick off the country’s 150th anniversary.

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Decoding the beaver genome

What does a beaver’s genome look like? And how can understanding the beaver genome help us to improve human health? A group of Canadian researchers led by Drs. Stephen Scherer and Si Lok at The Centre for Applied Genomics and The Hospital for Sick Children today published the sequenced genome of the Canadian beaver in order to answer these questions and others (and just in time for Canada’s 150th anniversary, no less).

Dr. Jared Simpson led a team at OICR who provided their bioinformatics expertise on the project. We spoke to Simpson about his team’s role in the study and how their findings could contribute to a better understanding of cancer.

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Researchers disprove link between vasectomies and prostate cancer using Ontario health data

Are vasectomies safe? Some recent studies have found a link between vasectomies and the development of prostate cancer later in life. But new research using Ontario health data has challenged these studies and shown conclusively that there is no link, giving new peace of mind to those men who have undergone or are considering undergoing the procedure.

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The next generation: Tamara Jamaspishvili

Men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer face a difficult dilemma: either wait and see how the growth develops and whether it is aggressive, or treat it fully right away and risk the many long-term side effects of treatment. Dr. Tamara Jamaspishvili is a young researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston who is working to change that.

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Beyond the crime scene: You don’t have to be dead to need a pathologist

Dr. John Bartlett, from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and Dr. Michelle Downes, from Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, will take you into a world of pathology beyond crime scene investigation and into puzzles more complex than an escape room. They will talk about the future of pathology and how this is changing the face of medicine and why a pathologist is considered ‘the doctor’s doctor’.

The Duke of York Pub – November 16, 6-8 p.m.
39 Prince Arthur Avenue, Toronto
near St. George subway station

FACIT start-up Turnstone Biologics closes USD $41M financing

OrbiMed, Versant-led round continues commercialization success for Turnstone’s cancer therapies

TORONTO, Nov. 2, 2016 /CNW/ – Turnstone Biologics Inc. (“Turnstone”), an Ontario-based developer of novel oncolytic viral immunotherapies, announced the closing of a USD $41.4 million Series B financing led by OrbiMed Advisors LLC (“OrbiMed”) and Versant Ventures (“Versant”), which led Turnstone’s Series A round in October 2015. New investor F-Prime Capital Partners (“F-Prime”) and existing founding investor FACIT also participated. Proceeds from the financing will support an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumours as well as accelerate and expand Turnstone’s pipeline, funding the development of three additional programs into the clinic. In connection with the financing Orbimed’s Rishi Gupta, JD and F-Prime’s Ben Auspitz will join Turnstone’s board of directors alongside Versant’s Brad Bolzon, PhD and Jerel Davis, PhD as well as FACIT’s Jeff Courtney.

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From our Annual Report: Improving screening for patients with brain cancer

Evaluating new therapies for cancer through clinical trials is one of the most important steps in moving novel drugs from the lab to clinical use. Recently Dr. Michael Taylor and his collaborators discovered a way to improve clinical trials for testing new therapies for medulloblastoma, a common form of brain cancer in children. The study was conducted with OICR’s support.

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Pathology Matters: One attendee’s reflections on OMPRN’s first gathering of Ontario pathologists

Dr. Matt Cecchini was one of many pathologists and researchers, including 21 trainees, to attend the inaugural Pathology Matters meeting hosted by the Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network (OMPRN). In this post he covers what he learned at the meeting, where the field is going and how that impacts his training and research.

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OICR’s Transformative Pathology Program contributes to recent PanCuRx findings

Ilinca Lungu, a Research Technician in OICR’s Transformative Pathology Program, talks about her group’s contributions to recent findings from the PanCuRx Translational Research Initiative.

Access to the Transformative Pathology Program’s resources and expertise is available to the research community through Diagnostic Development in OICR’s Collaborative Research Resources Directory. For more information about how you can access these services, visit oicr.on.ca/collaborative-research-resources.

TorBUG continues tonight with speaker Dr. Laura Hug from the University of Waterloo

The Toronto Bioinformatics User Group (TorBUG) continues this evening with another session of leading-edge bioinformatics topics and speakers. TorBUG sessions encourage learning, sharing and networking with colleagues in bioinformatics. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend.

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