Grant: CIHR Fellowship

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 6800 new cases of thyroid cancer are expected in Canada in 2016. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common form of thyroid cancer and it commonly spreads to lymph nodes. Many patients require multiple attempts at surgery or radioactive iodine treatments to treat metastatic thyroid cancer, and many treated individuals suffer from significant side effects. This project aims to produce an early diagnosis and therapy agent for aggressive forms of PTC. Antibodies (magic bullets) will be designed to search and destroy cancer cells. These magic bullets will make the cancer cells vulnerable to radioactive iodine, given to the patient as a treatment. A special non-invasive technology, positron emission tomography (PET), will be used to image the cancer in the patient's body. If a tumour is present in the individual, its cells will "light up" on the scan. The results obtained in the area of applied cancer research using radiopharmaceuticals will add a novel and innovative dimension to thyroid cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy. This approach would lead to an increase in the quality of life in thyroid cancer patients, increasing the life span of patients suffering from metastatic cancer.