Senior Scientist, Cancer Research

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ont.

Generously funded by DUNN with Cancer

Project Title: “A Novel Strategy for Glioblastoma Therapy Using Genetically Modified Neural Stem Cells”

Description of Project:

There is a very clear need for better therapeutics for glioblastoma. Challenges in developing these therapies include the need for effective delivery of therapeutics to the brain and the need for therapeutics that selectively destroy cancer cells without affecting normal brain tissue. We have developed a strategy that aims to address these two issues directly; this involves using a naturally occurring cell type in the brain (neural stem cells) and genetically modifying these to have selective cytotoxicity for glioblastoma cells.

The goal of our proposal is to test this strategy at the preclinical level. We will use two methods for this: in the first, we use patient glioblastoma cells implanted in mice and administer the therapeutics; in the second, we grow small pieces of patient glioblastoma tumour tissue in the lab and test the therapeutics directly on these. The two methods complement each other and should provide a clear indication of whether our approach will be effective in patients. If these preclinical studies show promise, we will utilize the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s biomanufacturing facilities to produce clinical-grade biotherapeutics for testing in clinical trials. Thus, our primary intended impact is to determine whether our therapeutic strategy is effective in preclinical models, with the longer-term goal of providing more effective therapeutic options to glioblastoma patients.

Personal/Professional Impact:

Personally, the grant holds great significance to me and my group. Research in this area is very challenging. Knowing that Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and its donors support and believe in this type of research inspires us to work even harder to reach our goals.