By Heather Blumenthal Think of them as the 98-pound weaklings on the beach of the immune system – not terribly powerful on their own, but rev up tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with other immune cells, and no one’s going to kick sand in their faces! That’s the theory, anyhow. But now, a BioCanRx-funded research… Read more »
Category: News
From pioneer to pioneers: a patient view on research
“I am so damn lucky and I know it every morning when I get out of bed.” When Kathy Barnard says this, she means it. Kathy Barnard founded and runs Save Your Skin, a patient advocacy and support organization that has been on the front lines as immune-oncology has emerged. Save Your Skin… Read more »
Finding the sweet spot: A tricky job for the right virus to treat brain cancer
Defeating brain cancer requires a delicate balance. At least that’s how Dr. David Stojdl sees it. On the one hand, Dr. Stojdl is engineering viruses that seek out tumour cells in the brain, infect them and flag them as dangerous — yet don’t infect healthy cells. “Brain tissue is not very amenable to… Read more »
Dr. Ira Mellman discusses cancer immunotherapy
World-renowned scientist Dr. Ira Mellman sat down with CTV Atlantic to share his observations on cancer immunotherapy – it’s biology, it’s evolution and it’s potential. Watch the interview here Dr. Mellman first highlights that by training the immune system to recognize cancer cells as being different from normal cells – also known as… Read more »
Global News takes a look into the science of immunotherapy
Could immunotherapy – a novel method of treatment that harnesses your body’s own immune system to fight cancer – be the new front line for cancer treatment? Global News 16X9 is providing viewers with a look at immunotherapy – a concept that is being dubbed the fourth pillar for cancer treatment. This approach to… Read more »
World-first clinical trial for oncolytic virus immunotherapy featured by The National
Last night, CBC TV’s The National introduced its audience to a novel clinical trial currently underway in Canada. The trial has been partially enabled by support from BioCanRx to manufacture the engineered viruses being given to the study’s participants. The clinical trial is testing a new investigational therapy called oncolytic virus immunotherapy, which… Read more »
First cancer-killing virus therapy approved by the FDA
On Oct. 27, 2015, the U.S. FDA gave its first approval for the use of a cancer-killing virus therapy, or oncolytic virus. Specifically, the FDA approved Amgen’s Imlygic, which is generically known as T-VEC, for the treatment of melanoma lesions in the skin and lymph nodes. “This approval is a huge milestone for the… Read more »
“Heal, boy: How companion animals can help find cures for human cancer” (The Globe and Mail)
News item Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It affects us all. Even our furry friends that always manage to find food scraps, and even their essence, on our floors. In fact, companion dogs get cancer in a manner very similar to humans because they are genetically diverse and the cancer pops up in a multitude of… Read more »
BioCanRx investigators receive $5M to develop virus therapy for prostate cancer
News item Prostate Cancer Canada and the Movember Foundation have partnered to award $5 million to 2020 to a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and clinicians led by BioCanRx Scientific Director, Dr. John Bell. The team is mainly composed of BioCanRx network investigators who are working together to develop a treatment specifically for prostate cancer… Read more »
Dr. John Bell named Top 25 in Ottawa
News item Our Scientific Director, Dr. John Bell, was honoured by Ottawa Life Magazine as one of the Top 25 People in Ottawa. He was recognized for pioneering research on virus therapy as a form of cancer treatment and as a world-renowned scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI). See Ottawa Life for… Read more »
