Cancer is a disease characterized by specific functional capabilities that are not typically expressed by normal healthy cells. For example, cancer cells can grow in the absence of normal growth signals, build resistance to the detrimental effects of drugs, invade and spread to other sites of the body. These capabilities are a result of acquired or inherited genetic mutations to DNA within cells, damaging genetic information that defines normal cellular function. If these unique features of cancer cells can be altered or corrected using gene therapy, it may provide an effective strategy to treat cancer. Studies have shown that in both plants and animal cells, introduction of man-made molecules known as small interfering RNAs (siRNA) can result in the suppression (silencing) of specific genes that promote cancer growth. Ultimately, this weakens the cancer cells to cause cell death or make cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation and/or chemotherapy. One promising siRNA treatment targets breast cancer by suppressing integrin-linked kinase (ILK), a protein that is known to be over-expressed in breast cancer. However, the effectiveness of siRNA treatment is currently hampered by issues related to the way the drug is delivered to the tumour. Dr. Emmanuel Ho is working to develop and test a novel method to deliver the drug only to cancer cells, leaving healthy, non-cancerous cells unaffected. By doing so, he hopes that the siRNA will decrease the expression of ILK and result in a decrease of breast tumour growth. If this new drug delivery system proves successful, the technology will enhance breast cancer treatment and facilitate the development of other siRNAs that are safe and effective.
Program: Trainee
Development of a novel prognostic model in Follicular Lymphoma
Lymphoid cancers are the fourth most common cancers in Canada. The incidence of follicular lymphoma (FL), a common and incurable subtype of lymphoma, continues to rise and represent an important health care problem. The prognosis for patients with FL can vary widely, from cases that spontaneously go into remission, to aggressive forms of FL where life expectancy is measured in months. Transformation of FL to a more aggressive transformed lymphoma (TLy) occurs in one third of the patients over 10 years and is an important cause of patient morbidity and mortality. With an enhanced ability to distinguish among different FL types and their prognoses, clinicians could safely delay treatment or give minimally toxic therapy to low risk patients, and reserve more aggressive chemotherapy to high risk patients. Dr. Nathalie Johnson is a hematologist working to improve clinical tools for identifying high risk FL patients. She is focusing on novel biomarkers that are associated with disease severity, identifying the most significant genetic factors in the tumour and in the patient that predict overall survival (OS) and transformation to Tly in FL. So far, she and her colleagues have found 85 genes that are highly predictive of survival and 55 genes that are predictive of transformation. Johnson will use this knowledge to develop and test a diagnostic model that can be translated into clinical tests for use by hospital laboratories. Her project seeks to move novel biomarkers into the forefront of outcome prediction, which will lead to individualized patient care and should identify novel targets for future therapies.
The role of ABC transporters on cellular cholesterol homeostasis and beta-cell function
Type 2 diabetes affects more than two million Canadians and causes a range of significant health issues, including coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in Canada. Type 2 diabetes results from a relative insufficiency of beta-cells in the pancreas to produce enough insulin to meet the increasing metabolic demands caused by obesity and aging. Cholesterol levels among type 2 diabetes patients is also known to commonly be altered, with elevated levels of LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and low levels of HDL (“good cholesterol”). However, the mechanistic connections between cholesterol metabolism and diabetes are poorly understood. Researchers recently discovered that the cholesterol transporter ABCA1, which is crucial for regulating cholesterol levels inside cells, is also essential for the normal release of insulin in beta-cells. Mice that lack Abca1 in their beta-cells have impaired glucose tolerance due to impaired beta-cell function. Dr. Janine Kruit is working to determine the specific role of ABC transporters in beta-cell function, glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes. Her research will focus on the cholesterol transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1. Her studies could suggest a novel mechanism for how type 2 diabetes develops, and lead to new ways to prevent and treat this disease.
Amphetamine induced changes in prefrontal cortex networks
Studies show that many brain areas are affected by drugs of abuse. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), however, plays an especially pivotal role in how addiction is manifested. Studies of addicted individuals show they have a reduced capacity to perform PFC dependent tasks, such as working memory (a process using multiple memory systems to facilitate problem solving and choose appropriate behaviours). Human studies also show abnormal activity patterns of the PFC in addicted individuals. When tested during withdrawal, the PFC of addicts remains inactive in response to cues that signal the delivery of natural rewards, such as food. In contrast, when they are given a cue that signals the delivery of a drug reward, addicts show both increased activation of their frontal areas and a high level of self-reported drug craving. Taken together, these data suggest an important component of compulsive drug taking. Linking the behavioural changes that an addict goes through to the underlying physiological changes that neural networks undergo is important for understanding the neurobiology of addiction. Dr. Christopher Lapish is studying the behavioral and neurophysiological changes that characterize the addicted state. His experiments will help delineate the neurophysiological changes that occur in the PFC during the process of addiction. By identifying the specific brain patterns that are induced by addiction, he hopes his work will result in a powerful tool to assess specific pharmacological treatments that may abolish them.
Role of Akt phosphorylation of GluR1 subunit of AMPA receptors in the receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity
Communication between neurons (brain cells) occurs at specialized junctions known as synapses. The process involves presynaptic neurons releasing neurotransmitter molecules, which then bind to membrane receptors on the surface of postsynaptic neurons – triggering the postsynaptic neuron to “fire.” The normal function of the brain depends on balancing the number of active receptors at the synaptic junction, so that neurons fire appropriately. Alzheimer’s disease and mental retardation show decreased receptor activity, whereas epilepsy and stroke show an excess of receptor activation. In effect, these conditions are marked by neural transmissions that are either too weak or too strong. Dr. Jun Liu previously practiced as a neurosurgeon in his native China. Now, he is studying how cellular and molecular mechanisms in brain cells support learning and memory. Recent findings indicate that the number of receptors activated on postsynaptic neurons can be rapidly regulated, suggesting a novel and efficient means by which the strength of synaptic transmission can be altered. Liu is investigating how such rapid changes in the number of postsynaptic receptors, and hence synaptic transmission strength, are initiated and carried out. Improved understanding of how receptor activity is regulated will help researchers learn how to correct receptor imbalances, offering new hope for a number of debilitating neurological conditions.
Role of beta-cell ryanodine receptors in diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, is a growing epidemic and a major health problem worldwide. In Canada, the prevalence of diabetes in the general population is around five per cent, but rates as high as 40 per cent have been reported for some indigenous groups. Diabetes can cause serious health problems, including kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and blindness – costing Canada’s health system more than $13 billion annually. It is known that diabetes results from a progressive loss of functional insulin-releasing pancreatic beta-cells. Research evidence suggests that reduced beta-cell survival may be a critical event in this process. The mechanisms underlying beta-cell death in diabetes remain unresolved, but it is becoming increasingly evident that intracellular calcium signals play a vital role in most known types of cell death. Dr. Dan Luciani is examining the role of the ryanodine receptor (RyR), a calcium handling protein, in the death of pancreatic beta-cells. His recent work with colleagues has demonstrated that the flux through these calcium channels regulates beta-cell survival in culture. Using mouse models, he now intends to determine if defects in RyR signaling may predispose to diabetes by testing what happens to beta-cells’ ability to control blood sugar levels when RyR is missing. These studies will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the function and available mass of insulin secreting beta-cells. Ultimately, this knowledge may lead to novel strategies for the treatment, and eventually cure, of this increasingly prevalent disease.
Determining the rhythm of post stroke activity-dependent neural repair
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the main source of adult disability in Canada, costing our health system $2.7 billion annually. It is caused by the interruption of flow of blood or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain, which leads to brain cell death. Depending on the area of the brain that is affected, people experience loss of different abilities including speech, movement and memory. The effects of a stroke depend on where the brain has been injured, as well as how much damage has occurred. Recovery after stroke may be related to changes in the structure and activity of brain cells. Previous studies suggested that new regions of the brain can adopt the function of damaged regions after stroke – effectively rewiring the brain for function. However, the way that brain cells change their activity after stroke, and how these changes affect recovery, is still poorly understood. Dr. Majid Mohaherani is studying the basic mechanisms that lead to the recovery of the affected area in the brain. He is examining how brain cells that survive after stroke change their activity during the weeks and months after the initial injury, rebuilding the lost connections. This research aims to provide a better understanding of the link between previously reported structural changes that occur in the brain after stroke, and changes in the activity of individual cells and large neuronal networks. This work could lead to the development of new therapeutic tools that help the brain rewire itself, which could contribute to a reduction in disabilities in stroke patients.
Analysis of gene function in the specification of jaw identity
The genetic basis of many facial defects remains unclear. One of the reasons is that we only have a partial picture of gene expression during facial development – when, and in what sequence, particular genes are turned on and off to give rise to the bones, nerves and muscles of the face. This enables the same tissues, which are used in all parts of the face, to arrange themselves in particular patterns to create to a fully-formed face. Dr. Suresh Nimmagadda focuses on how the lower and upper jaws are formed during embryonic development, arising from tiny buds of tissue surrounding the mouth. In particular, he is studying retinoic acid (RA) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), which are secreted during development. He hopes to reveal the roles played by gene targets of BMP and RA in establishing jaw identity. The long term goal of his research is to improve our understanding of the normal and abnormal facial development, forming the basis for new ways to prevent facial defects.
Assembly of the type III secretion system in enteropathogenic E. coli and C. rodentium
Pathogenic E. coli bacteria cause severe intestinal infection and diarrhea in humans, leading to millions of cases of infection every year. The virulence of pathogenic E. coli and many other gram-negative bacterial pathogens (a bacteria type characterized by its membrane structure) is determined by the type III secretion systems (TTSS). TTSS are multi-protein macromolecular “machines” that mediate the secretion and translocation of bacterial proteins into the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells – a key step in causing infection. Most of the 20 unique structural components constituting this secretion system are highly conserved among animal and plant pathogens and are also evolutionarily related to proteins in the flagellar-specific export system, another protein secretion system that has been extensively studied. However, real hard biochemical analysis of TTSS has not been done. Dr. Hendrikje Oldehinkel is investigating how the TTSS is built and how it works. She is dissecting protein to protein interactions and assembly of the type III secretion apparatus in enteropathogenic E.coli and in a mouse pathogen, Citrobacter rodentium. Her work employs a combination of biochemical techniques: electroforesis, immunoblotting, stable isotope labelling, mass spectrometry and electron microscopy. Oldehinkel’s research will contribute to the understanding of the structure of TTSS and the role the components of the type III secretion system play in the architecture and function of the system. Understanding TTSS is important for finding new therapeutic options against not only gram-negative bacterial pathogens, but also against many other disease-causing pathogens.
The role of notch activation in VEGF-mediated tumour angiogenesis
A major step for cancer cells to form solid tumours and metastasize (spread to other parts of the body) is the development of new blood vessels around the tumour, a process called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is essential for delivering nutrients that help tumour cells grow and survive. Blocking this process has been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer in animal models, and early angiogenesis-blocking drugs have shown promise in human clinical trials. Still, much work remains to improve these treatments and better target tumour angiogenesis without affecting normal blood vessels. An important piece of this research is to develop a more complete understanding of how cancer cells “hijack” blood vessels to induce this process. Dr. Alexandre Patenaude’s research focuses on the molecular signals that cancer cells produce to recruit the vascular cells required for angiogenesis. He is studying two important factors: the notch protein and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF is produced by cancer cells to induce the proliferation of the cells that assemble into blood vessels. Notch regulates how the blood vessels form, thereby allowing blood flow to circulate efficiently. Alexandre is also studying the role of these factors in the creation of pericytes, specialized cells that support the endothelial cells and help keep blood vessels open. This research will provide a better understanding of how blood vessels are hijacked by tumour cells. It could also suggest new ways to block this process, such as by inhibiting the generation of pericytes.