Grant: Project Grant

Our body encompasses billions of cells that communicate with each other and operate in synchrony to allow the execution of the most complex and activities of daily life. Over the last decades, researchers have discovered that our cells use an "antenna" to feel and appropriately respond to changes occurring around them. These sensorial antennae called primary cilia control cell proliferation and, their absence or dysfunction lead to cancer initiation and progression. We will combine the use of animal models and human clinical samples to determine the role and therapeutic potential of primary cilia in prostate cancer, one of the most diagnosed types of cancer in Canada . The achievement of this innovative research will provide important insights into the biology of prostate cancer, bringing far-reaching implications on the prevention and treatment of this alarming disease that yearly accounts for more than 400,000 deaths globally.