Grant: Project Grant

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated one in four Canadians (80,800 per year) will die from cancer. Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the way in which several cancers, including metastatic melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), are treated. This therapy inactivates the mechanism used by tumors to evade the immune system. However, a large fraction of patients does not respond to this treatment. Recently, the gut microbiota has been implicated in the efficacy of immunotherapy and modulating the composition of the gut microbiota emerged as an attractive strategy to increase its efficacy. In this research project we aim to discover prebiotic glycans that support the growth of gut bacteria that stimulate the immune system in a way that potentiate the efficacy of immunotherapy. We will screen prebiotic glycans in conventional mice and in mice "humanized" with human gut microbiota from cancer patients. Once prebiotics have been identified, we will use complementary in vitro methods to understand better the metabolism of glycans by gut bacteria. Our strategy has the potential of increasing the efficacy of treatment of many cancers, but also will lay the foundation for prebiotic discovery that could be applicable to multiple other diseases.