Grant: Operating Grant - Priority Announcement: Ovarian Cancer (bridge funding)

Breast and ovarian cancers are two of the most important cancers in women worldwide. The development of novel and more potent anticancer agents with increased specificity for these cancer cells will minimize the adverse side effects of common chemotherapeutic drugs such as nausea and vomiting. Consequently, this type of anticancer agent will improve the quality of life for patients afflicted with these diseases. This research project is studying such type of anticancer agents that we recently developed in our laboratory. More specifically, this project seeks to use the natural female steroidal hormone, estradiol, as a specific carrier molecule of a highly potent anticancer moiety to breast and ovarian cancer cells via the estrogen receptor. This project will evaluate the true capacity of these unique anticancer drugs to target and to cure these cancers in two different animal models. Thus, drug targeting (a more precise and powerful mean of drug treatment) will improve the available treatments for these cancers. Finally, the novel anticancer agents could give access to complementary and/or new therapies, exempt of toxic side effects, useful to patients in this relentless fight against breast and ovarian cancers.