Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Historically, it is believed that human cancer cells use the same machinery as healthy cells to make proteins during tumor formation. However, our laboratory recently discovered exciting evidence suggesting that during tumour formation, cancer cells employ a unique way of producing proteins that is different from normal, healthy cells. Specifically, this mechanism becomes activated under conditions of low oxygen (hypoxia), which is a major characteristic of tumours. We have strong evidence that this unique process used by cancer cells to make proteins plays a major and clinically important role in how cancer cells survive, develop tumours, and become malignant and invasive. Here, I propose to identify and study the unique molecular components that are used specifically by human cancer cells, but not normal cells, to engage in this method of synthesizing proteins. To achieve my goal, our laboratory has developed state-of-the-art molecular techniques designed specifically to answer these important questions. I also enjoy access to a repertoire of world-class scientific resources. These unique qualities allow us to effectively engage in our project from a highly competitive vantage point, and ultimately enable us to accomplish our overarching goal of revealing fundamental molecular differences between cancer and healthy cells. The accomplishment of this goal is absolutely key to developing effective cancer therapies. The therapeutic implications of this work are tremendous and worth every effort. These studies will enable us to develop drugs that specifically target cancer cells for destruction, while leaving normal, neighbouring cells intact. Importantly, these studies represent a remarkable opportunity for us to control and prevent tumour development at early stages in humans with an extraordinary degree of cancer-specificity. Such specificity will minimize the undesirable side-effects that plaque most current cancer therapies such as chemo- and radio-therapy.