The CIHR Team Investigating Autophagy Proteins as Molecular Targets for Cancer Treatment will be hosting 2 Autophagy Events in February.
Friday, February 17, 2012 a full day workshop: “Autophagy: an Emerging Therapeutic Target in Human Disease Workshop”
From 8:30AM - 4:30PM at SFU Harbour Centre more information: http://www.bcgsc.ca/about/autophagy-2012
To register: http://autophagy2012workshop.eventbrite.ca
A scientific poster session will be held during the day, and a cash award for the best student poster will be presented. We encourage trainees to present posters (contact details below for more information).
Saturday, February 18, 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting Discovery Symposium: “Autophagy: an Emerging Therapeutic Target in Human Disease”
From 1:30 - 4:30 at the Vancouver Convention Centre,
More information: http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/webprogram/Session4593.html and http://www.aaas.org
To register: http://www.aaas.org/meetings/2012/registration/
This will be an excellent opportunity for local trainees from SFU, UBC, UVic, BCCA and CDRD to interact with academic and industry-based Research Scientists representing the top of their fields from around the world. Topics will include human and mouse genetic analyses and modulation of autophagy genes, molecular target selection, and progress toward in silico design, screening, lead identification and development of specific small molecule modulators of autophagy to provide proof-of-principle and, ultimately, potential therapeutic agents. Ongoing cancer clinical trials employing first generation autophagy inhibitors will also be discussed. The disease focus of the symposium and workshop will be cancer but the relevance and implications of autophagy modulation for other diseases will also be discussed.
Organizing Committee:
Dr. Sharon Gorski, SFU and BC Cancer Agency,
Dr. Julian Lum, BC Cancer Agency and University of Victoria
Prof. Robert Young, MC, FRSC, Merck Frosst- B.C. Leadership Chair in Pharmaceutical Genomics and Drug Discovery, Dept of Chemistry, SFU.
For further information and to submit an abstract for a poster presentation please contact:
Stephanie McInnis, PhD
Projects Manager
Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency
8th floor - 675 West 10th Avenue,
Vancouver BC CANADA
V5Z1L3
email: smcinnis@bcgsc.ca
phone: (604)675-8000 ext. 7965
]]>Congratulations to Ryan Morin for being selected for his research, which involved developing bioinformatics approaches to analyze DNA and RNA sequence data from tumours and ultimately identifying novel genes that are recurrently mutated in non Hodgkin lymphoma.
Dr. Sam Abraham, VP Research, BC Cancer Agency
with Dr. Lloyd Skarsgard and Ryan Morin shaking hands
.
Dr. Marco Marra congratulates Ryan Morin
31 Video presentations from this meeting are available to view on-line. The Key note address presented by Eric Lander , Founding Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, provides an overview of the history and future challenges faced by TCGA and cancer genomics. Marco Marra presented the Session III Lead Talk: Sequence-based RNA profiling, Expression maps at basepair resolution, in which he highlighted research carried out by GSC researchers, past and present: Malachi Griffith, Elizabeth Chun, Rodrigo Goya, Gordon Robertson, Andy Mungall, Ryan Morin, Andy Chu, Sorana Morrissy and Robin Coope.
The TCGA goal is to study 25 cancer disease types in 5 years. The GSC is well into its 3rd year of TCGA participation and is the only non-American organization participating in this exciting collaborative effort. The GSC contribution to this research is focused on miRNA and mRNA analysis of cancer cells. To date, our team has sequenced and analyzed over 3000 miRNA samples.
For further information contact:
| Payal Sipahimalani Project Coordinator Genome Sciences Centre BC Cancer Agency Email: payals@bcgsc.ca Phone: 604-707-5900 x 5432 |
|---|
In a brief statement, the RSC highlighted how "Steven J.M. Jones has made leading contributions to the field of genome informatics and has participated in numerous international genome projects. He has applied similar techniques to study human cancers providing insights into the process of oncogenesis and how cancer treatment can be personalized."
"Once again, the Society has received hundreds of excellent nominations, and in 2011 the fellowship has been enriched by these 78 outstanding individuals" said Professor Roderick A. Macdonald, President of the RSC.
Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada is the senior national body of distinguished Canadian scholars, artists and scientists. As Canada's National Academy, the Royal Society of Canada exists to recognize academic excellence and outstanding contributions to Canadian intellectual culture, to advise governments and organizations, and to promote a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada. The Society's three academies collectively consist of nearly 2,000 Fellows, men and women who are selected by their peers for outstanding contributions to the natural and social sciences, in the arts and in the humanities.
This year's new Fellows were inducted to the RSC during the Induction and Awards Ceremony held on November 26, 2011 at the Ottawa Convention Centre in Ottawa. To view a complete list of newly elected Fellows and their nomination citations, please visit the Society's website at Class of 2011 Citations.
For further information:
Erika Kujawski, Officer of Communications,
The Royal Society of Canada, (613) 991-5642,
]]>Two independent research teams have now identified a potential link between a microorganism and colon cancer, making the unexpected observation that a single genus of bacteria, Fusobacterium, is found more often in colon cancer tissues than normal tissue. Their research is published in Genome Research (www.genome.org).
Castellarin M, Warren RL, Freeman D, Dreolini L, Krzywinski M, Strauss J, Barnes R, Watson P, Allen-Vercoe E, Moore RA, Holt RA. Fusobacterium nucleatum infection is prevalent in human colorectal carcinoma. Genome Res doi: 10.1101/gr.126516.111.
Kostic AD, Gevers D, Pedamallu CS, Michaud M, Duke F, Earl AM, Ojesina AI, Jung J, Bass AJ, Tabernero J, Baselga J, Liu C, Shivdasani RA, Ogino S, Birren BW, Huttenhower C, Garrett WS, Meyerson M. Genomic analysis identifies association of Fusobacterium with colorectal carcinoma. Genome Res doi: 10.1101/gr.126573.111.
“This was especially surprising because although Fusobacterium, the bacterium we found in colon tumors, is a known pathogen,” said Dr. Robert Holt of the BC Cancer Agency and Simon Fraser University, and senior author of one of the reports, “it is a very rare constituent of the normal gut microbiome and has not been associated previously with cancer.”
“It was also surprising that … Fusobacterium has also previously been reported to be associated to be with ulcerative colitis, which is itself a risk factor for colon cancer,” noted Dr. Matthew Meyerson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and senior author of the other study.
Holt’s group identified Fusobacterium by sequencing the RNA present in colon cancer tissue and compared this to RNA from normal colon tissue, looking for sequences that originate from microorganisms, while Meyerson’s team sequenced the DNA present in the cancer tissues and normal tissues to find microbial sequences.
Holt and Meyerson both noted that although it is unclear at this time whether Fusobacterium infection is a cause or consequence of colorectal tumors, the microbe could prove to be very useful in the clinic as a marker for cancer. If Fusobacterium is found to be causative for disease, clinical trials could evaluate the effectiveness of antiobiotics or vaccines to treat or prevent cancer.
Research carried out by Rob Holt's research group on this project has been funded by Genome BC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada, and the BC Clinical Genomics Network (BCCGN).
The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and MP for Port Moody–Westwood–Port Coquitlam;
Tim Manning, Board of Directors, Provincial Health Services Authority; Brendan Robinson, VP Development, BC Cancer
Foundation; Dr. Samuel Abraham, VP Research, BC Cancer Agency
Cancer research in British Columbia received a significant boost today, thanks to nearly $2.2 million in federal funding announced for the BC Cancer Agency.
Our Government is focused on the economic recovery and we believe that science, technology and innovation are vital to both supporting economic competitiveness and growth, and a healthy society,
said the Honourable James Moore, Member of Parliament for Port Moody–Westwood–Port Coquitlam and Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification. We are pleased that our funding will help ensure the BC Cancer Agency and our local industry maintain their prominence as leaders in cancer research.
With Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) funding, the BC Cancer Agency will purchase three leading-edge genome sequencers to be installed at its internationally recognized Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre(GSC). As well, a new business outreach coordinator will work to increase the centre's linkages with industry.
This combination will help the GSC win large-scale research projects, make sequencing more affordable for local industry and the broader life sciences community, while helping retain and attract leading researchers whose work in genome sequencing will enable ongoing cancer research.
This funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada and the BC Cancer Foundation will provide researchers at the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre new sequencing technology that is vital for continuing to harness the power of genomics research. Working toward providing new solutions for the challenges in cancer research has become more attainable,
said Dr. Samuel Abraham, Vice President of Research, BC Cancer Agency.
The GSC is one of fifteen research programs that operate as part of the BC Cancer Agency. Over the past decade, the GSC has become a cornerstone of the important life sciences sector, the largest Canadian sequencing facility and a world leader in cancer genomics and research, bioinformatics, and technology development.
Thanks to the support of BC Cancer Foundation donors and Western Economic Diversification Canada we are proud to be a part of this significant acquisition of potentially life-saving technology.
says Brendan Robinson, Vice President of Development of the BC Cancer Foundation. This investment into state-of-the-art sequencing technology at the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre is fantastic news for the 23,000 British Columbians who will be diagnosed with cancer this year, their families and clinicians as we boost the GSC’s capacity to make personalized medicine a reality for cancer care in B.C.
Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.
For additional information, contact:
Lubna Ekramoddoullah Corporate communications: Cher SawchukMedia inquiries:
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Phone: 604-675-7459
Email: lekramod@phsa.ca
Communications Leader
Phone: 604-675-8258
Email: cher.sawchuk@bccancer.bc.ca
Dr. Marianne Sadar
The U. S. Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program is celebrating the beginnings of the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month by posting videos of presentations from the IMPaCT Meeting Plenary session entitled, “Mechanisms of Disease Progression,” on the CDMRP website.
Dr. Marianne Sadar; Senior Scientist at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver. And the Provincial Program Leader for Prostate Cancer Research at the British Columbia Cancer Agency. She has been a continuous grantee of the DoD Program since 1999 when she was first granted a New Investigator Award. Dr. Sadar’s research has focused on discovering therapeutics for advanced prostate cancer that target the N-terminus domain of the androgen receptor and developing decoys, peptides, and small molecules from marine sponge extracts to yield new drugs with strong potential for clinical development.
See the video of Dr. Sadar presenting her research or read the full text on the CDMRP website.
]]>The 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting is being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre
To Register go to http://www.aaas.org/meetings/2012/registration/
Deadline for Abstracts for General and Student posters is October 24, 2011. Submit your Abstract at: http://www.aaas.org/meetings/2012/program/posters/
]]>Gene Screen BC (GSBC) is a contest to honour short videos that educate, inform and excite secondary students, the public and healthcare professionals about the role of genetics and genomics in human health. The contest opened on May 24, 2011 with a networking Launch Event and will culminate in a Screening Gala on September 26, 2011 in Vancouver.
Prizes will be awarded for the top 3 videos plus Peoples Choice award
For more information and to view the 19 videos competing go to http://www.genescreenbc.com/
| Important Dates: | |
|---|---|
| September 19, 2011 | Viewer’s choice voting ends at 12:01am Monday |
| September 26, 2011 | Three (3) winning film and People’s Choice film announced and viewed at the Screening Gala |
Attendees viewing posters at the 2010
BC Cancer Agency Annual Cancer Conference.
For further information and to submit an abstract, please visit the conference website
Judging is based on scientific merit, visual presentation and significance of the research.
Please register at online. Submitting an abstract does not mean that you are automatically registered for the meeting. Conference registration is separate process.
If you require the assistance of BC Cancer Agency Multi-Media Services in the preparation and/or printing of your poster, the final deadline for submission of work to their department is Tuesday, November 1, 2011. No poster work or print orders will be accepted by Multi-Media after this date.
Questions?
Contact Vickie Mattimoe and Heena Vadgama at: abstracts@bccancer.bc.ca
]]>
Dr. Aly Karsan
AML affects approximately 200 British Columbians per year, including former BC MLA Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins, who passed away in September 2010 after two occurrences of the disease. Her sister, Rupinder Sachdeva, says, “Sindi was humbled and proud of the quality of care she received at the BC Cancer Agency. BC has some of the best cancer survival rates and Sindi was a prime example: she survived almost seven years with AML that had a prognosis of several months. She would have been absolutely thrilled about this project, which holds such great promise for cancer patients and their families.”
Mr. Manohar Ahluwalia and Ms. Rupie (Ahluwalia) Sachdeva,
father and sister of the late Ms. Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins; Dr.
Samuel Abraham (VP Research & Strategic Relationships, BCCA);
Dr. Aly Karsan (Principal Investigator on AML project); and Mr.
Doug Nelson (President & CEO, BCCF)
AML is presently treated with stem cell transplantation or chemotherapy. This AML project will increase the use of genomic data to identify different AML sub-types found in patients, leading to targeted and more personalized treatment and hopefully improved outcomes.
Dr. Aly Karsan, project lead and head of Clinical Diagnostic Genomics at the BC Cancer Agency, says, “We are ecstatic to begin this project, which will identify all genetic markers and mutations associated with AML. We have a perfect storm of resources in BC, including tissue samples from the BC Cancer Agency’s unique hematology cell bank, cutting-edge, whole genome sequencing capabilities, and generous funding from Genome BC and the BC Cancer Foundation. These invaluable resources have come together to ensure we evolve the identification of genetic mutations in AML into a clinical tool to better treat each patient’s individual cancer.”
Douglas Nelson, President and CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation says, “This is the news that BC’s more than 22,000 cancer patients and their families have been waiting for. The AML project is a tangible, practical step towards bringing personalized medicine research into the clinic. The BC Cancer Foundation and its donors are proud to be standing at the beachhead of this historic initiative.”
“We applaud Genome BC for launching this Personalized Medicine Program,” says Lynda Cranston, President and CEO of the PHSA. “The funded projects will demonstrate the impact of applied genomics on improving patient outcomes and maximizing the benefit of the healthcare dollars we spend.”
Dr. Alan Winter, CEO and President Genome BC
Armelle Troussard, Project Manager
Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency
Email: armellet@bcgsc.ca
]]>
University of British Columbia at the Michael Smith Laboratories, Lecture Theater #102 - 2185 East Mall Rd.
| Time | Title |
|
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 - 10:30 |
Tamotsu Yoshimori |
14 Years of Autophagy: Towards Understanding the Intracellular Self-Degradation System Sustaining Life |
| 10:30 -11:00 |
coffee break |
|
| 11:00 - 12:15 |
|
Short Research Talks |
| 12:15 - 1:30 |
Lunch (brown bag) |
with Round Table Discussion |
| 1:30 - 2:30 |
Short Research Talks |
|
| 2:30 - 3:00 |
coffee break |
|
| 3:00 - 4:00 |
David C. Rubinsztein |
Autophagy in Neurodegeneration |
]]>
In a project supported by Genome BC, Dr. Poul Sorensen, a Vancouver pediatric pathologist at the BC Cancer Agency/University of British Columbia is leading the team that will explore the genomes (DNA) of four of the most challenging childhood cancers known. Dr. Sorensen and his colleagues in the Canadian Pediatric Cancer Genome Consortium hope to find the link between primary and metastatic tumours using revolutionary genomics technology and a highly skilled consortium of scientists and clinicians. Other Researchers participating in this work include: Steven Jones and Marco Marra (Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency); Michael D. Taylor, David Malkin, Cynthia Hawkins, and Annie Huang (Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto); Conrad Fernandez (Dalhousie University); Nada Jabado (McGill University); Daniel Sinnett (Universite de Montreal).
Dr. Pierre Meulien, President and CEO,
Genome Canada and the Hon. Gary Goodyear,
Minister of State, Science and Technology
The team will focus on medulloblastoma (brain cancer), metastatic osteosarcoma (bone cancer), Pediatric high grade glioma, and Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine glioma (two other types of pediatric brain tumours) to uncover genetic abnormalities that direct tumour cells to spread or become resistant to treatment. They will examine and directly compare the genetic signature of each of these diseases in primary tumour cells and tumour cells that have metastasized or relapsed. These studies will produce a first-time view of the tumour genomes in these diseases. This insight not only provides immediate potential for improving tailored therapies for children with these lethal cancers, but will enable the future development of new drugs for patients who otherwise have limited options for treatment.
"Having the genetic, biological and clinical expertise in Vancouver makes this an ideal place to lead this research. The research team has access to rare samples and can tap into an international network to allow for a quick and easy liaison from bench to bedside,” says Sorensen. The mutational landscape of cancer cells is nearly impossible to find with only one tumour to analyze; however, with a national network and international linkages the team can begin to make the imperative connections between normal and mutated genes across a larger group of cases.
“Genome BC is thrilled to be funding this essential and ground-breaking work. Our hope is that the results from this research will impact not only on childhood cancers but to shed light on the link between primary and metastatic tumours for all cancer patients,” says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC.
“The next ten years in health research will be defined by our understanding of genomics and its effect on how we develop new treatment methods and monitoring tools,” said Dr. Pierre Chartrand, Vice President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. “Here at CIHR we are focusing on the application of a patient orientated research model, and you cannot get more patient oriented than helping defeat childhood cancer and rare diseases.” “Canada is now poised to take a leading position in disease gene discovery — opening up exciting new possibilities for diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr. Pierre Meulien, President and CEO of Genome Canada.
Karen Novik, Project Manager
Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency
Email: knovik@bcgsc.ca
]]>
Increased global interest in the human microbiome has created an opportunity to bring together a diverse community of international researchers from the medical, microbial and computational fields to discuss the complex relationships of the microbiome with human health and disease. Attend the International Human Microbiome Congress in beautiful Vancouver to learn about cutting edge microbiome research from leaders in the field from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and North America.
As Canada Research Chair in Genome Science, Dr. Marco Marra is identifying mutations and other genomic events that lead to currently incurable cancers. This goal has so far eluded scientists largely because of technological limitations. Marra’s research emphasizes developing and applying new technologies to overcome these limitations and to identify the most frequent genomic events that drive cancers. With information on such drivers at hand, new treatment strategies will emerge.
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Canada Research Chairs Program,” said Chad Gaffield, President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and head of the Canada Research Chairs Program steering committee. “Over the past 10 years, the program has been integral to funding research excellence in Canada and attracting and retaining renowned international experts at Canadian universities. The program has helped build world-class research centres across the country, propelled Canadian research leadership onto the world stage, and enhanced the education and training of thousands of domestic and foreign students.”
“The funding provided through the Canada Research Chairs Program allows Canadian universities to attract and retain the best and the brightest minds from around the world,” said Professor Paul Young, Chair of the Ontario Council of University Research and Vice-President, Research, at the University of Toronto. “This program is vital for Canada, since it contributes to the development of first-class training and competitive research in Canada and abroad.”
Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years and renewable, are for outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields. For each Tier 1 Chair, the university receives $200,000 annually for seven years.
View the full list of chairholders announced today.
]]>