Four new studies funded by the Ontario Cancer Research Institute (OICR) will deliver cutting-edge innovation by maximizing the impact of existing research and maximizing patient contributions.
OICR supports research through CATALYST, a new funding source for research that leverages available patient data and donated samples to advance new insights into cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
The first four CATALYST studies, led by Ontario’s top researchers, are examining a wide range of innovative approaches, from blood tests that can predict the likelihood of head and neck cancer recurrence to evaluating whether common diabetes drugs can help prevent blood cancers. All four leverage available datasets and build on existing research to take the next step toward transforming clinical practice.
It is important to make the most of every opportunity to push new discoveries across the finish line so they can impact the lives of cancer patients. CATALYST was designed to do just that, while respecting the patients who make research possible. ”
Dr. David Cescon, OICR Clinical Translational Research Theme Scientific Director
Cancer patients are critical partners in cancer research, generously giving their time, insights, and samples to enable new innovations.
“Patients who participate in research want to know that their participation is making a difference in the future of cancer care, and these studies validate their contribution,” said Vivian Thimble Sim, a cancer survivor and Clinical Translation patient partner who helped develop the patient partnership plan for the CATALYST project.
CATALYST’s first four research studies include:
- Dr. Neil Freshner A research team at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center at the University Health Network (UHN) is investigating whether common diabetes drugs can slow the progression of clonal hematopoiesis, which dramatically increases the risk of blood cancer. Fleshner and colleagues recently showed that a drug called metformin blocks the growth of cells that carry genetic mutations that cause clonal hematopoiesis. A new study uses genetic testing to further investigate metformin’s potential to prevent blood cancers and other diseases.
- Dr. Hong Ryong With Dr. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center Dr. Lillian Siu Researchers at UHN Princess Margaret Cancer Center are studying whether a new blood test can predict which cancer patients will benefit most from immunotherapy. Previous studies showed that patients whose tumors had large amounts of genetic material called “endogenous retrotransposable elements” (EREs) responded better to immune checkpoint inhibitors. In the future, Leong and Siu plan to use patient samples from the same cohort to see if measuring ERE in the blood can predict treatment response.
- Dr. Enrique Sanz Garcia and Dr. Scott Bratman UHN’s The Princess Margaret Cancer Center is investigating whether blood tests can help identify patients whose head and neck cancer is at high risk of recurrence after treatment. This study builds on previous work by applying more advanced genomic sequencing techniques to look for small pieces of tumor DNA in blood samples and see whether the presence of those tumor pieces is associated with cancer recurrence.
- Dr. Vikas Gupta With UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Dr. James Kennedy A research team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center is developing a system to predict how patients with rare blood cancers will respond to treatment. Bone marrow transplantation is the only curative treatment for myelofibrosis, but it has serious side effects and is only used in high-risk patients. The research team, which has already developed a risk-scoring tool for myelofibrosis, plans to reanalyze the data to see if the score can identify which patients are suitable for transplantation and at what point in treatment they would benefit most.
Each of these projects has been rigorously evaluated through an iterative process and is poised to rapidly achieve research objectives.
“These studies maximize research efficiency and narrow the gap between science and clinical practice by using new and innovative methods to reanalyze samples and data already collected,” said Dr. Lincoln Stein, OICR Acting Scientific Director. “Their efforts will make Ontario healthier and maximize every dollar invested in Ontario’s world-class research ecosystem.”
“To save and improve lives, we need to stay one step ahead of cancer,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister for Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Our government is proud to support the Ontario Cancer Institute and commend its CATALYST program, which advances life-saving discoveries in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”
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Ontario Cancer Research Institute
