Grant: Project Grant

In women, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in North America and the second most common gynecological cancer. With few early symptoms, over 70% of patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with widespread disease where five year survival rates are low. Our goal is to improve current treatment modalities for ovarian cancer to ensure better outcomes with improved quality of life. We have developed over the last 20 years a rich resource of tissues and cell lines representing the disease. We know that most ovarian cancer cells an abnormal number of chromosomes and our research has shown that this distinct feature can actually be exploited as the 'Achilles heel' of these abnormal cells. We are using our resource to develop new therapeutic agents, in particular small molecules that target a protein called Ran. We have shown that blocking Ran in cells with an abnormal number of chromosome leads to their death but that normal cells can tolerate the loss of Ran. We have shown that targeting Ran would also benefit patients with recurrent disease. This research builds on the strong models we have generated, on an extensive infrastructure between the laboratory and the clinic, and leaves us poised to impact significantly on the lives of women with ovarian cancer.