Grant: Project Grant

What are stem cells? They are the "orchestra conductor" in an organism. First, they are a rare population of cells that can self-renew. That means that when it will divide, it will produce two daughter cells: one of which is identical to the "mother" cell assuring the prosperity of its descendants. Second, stem cells have the capacities to give rise to all the cell types from an organ. The best stem cell example is the zygote formed when the spermatozoid fused with the egg, it will later form a baby comprising a multitude of different cell types. Stem cells are highly active in embryos but also in adult tissues. On a daily basis, they produce new cells to compensate for all the cells that are lost. They are also key players in tissue healing upon injury like bone fracture, gut inflammation or skin burns. Unfortunately, they have two faces: the Good and the Bad. Indeed, in cancer by example, they are linked to tumor formation and resistance to treatment. Since they divide frequently, they are more prone to form a tumor if they acquire sufficient number of mutations. Also, through several mechanisms they are able to survive to anti-cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. They would then be "hiding" or "sleeping" at the tumor site ready to divide again and form a new tumor leading to cancer relapse. They are therefore a major issue in oncology. Our goal? Specifically target stem cells to improve tissue repair and cure cancer. Our lab particularly focuses on the esophagus because it is covered by an actively dividing epithelium. Also, it is an organ severely affected by inflammation due to acid reflux by example, which affects roughly 15% of Canadians. Furthermore, esophageal cancer is also a deadly cancer with only 15% of patients surviving 5 year following their diagnosis due to high rate of cancer relapse. Thus, we are studying the role of esophageal stem cells in these diseases to find new therapeutic approaches to improve the life of patients.