Two world-renowned Toronto scientists will receive $40 million over the next four years to co-lead two international cancer stem cell research projects funded through a partnership program between Canada and California.
The cross-border projects -- a collaboration between Canada's Cancer Stem Cell Consortium and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine -- are designed to turn cancer stem cell research into improved treatments for patients.
John Dick, director of the cancer stem cells program at the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, will work with Dr. Dennis Carson of the University of California, San Diego, to develop drugs to treat leukemia.
Dick first identified cancer stem cells in human leukemia, spawning a new direction in cancer research.
Immunologist Tak Mak, head of the Advanced Medical Discovery Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital, and Dr. Dennis Slamon of the University of California at Los Angeles will co-lead research aimed at developing drugs to target cancer-initiating cells in a variety of cancers.
Mak's 1984 discovery of the T-cell receptor significantly advanced the understanding of immunity, especially as it relates to cancer and HIV-AIDS.
"This funding will enable Drs. John Dick and Tak Mak and their research teams at University Health Network and across Canada to accelerate the work to translate stem-cell research into effective, targeted cancer treatments," Dr. Christopher Paige, vice-president of research at the University Health Network, said in a statement.
The two Canada-California collaborative cancer stem cell projects, announced Wednesday, were selected from 31 applicants targeting a broad range of diseases and injuries.
