2017 Annual Report

14 | 2017 Report to Our Donors Click here to view our Research Campaign video ACCELERATE CANCER RESEARCH by Supporting our Research Campaign The scientific research program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is based on the following six pillars. By focusing on these areas and honing our skills in translating our scientific discoveries into improved care for our patients, we are advancing Personalized Cancer Medicine for all Canadians. Our goal is to raise a minimum of $50 million for these pillars of research. Please contact Shannon Stuart (Shannon.Stuart@ thepmcf.ca or 416-946-6571) to find out more about how you can accelerate the work in these high-impact areas. IMMUNOTHERAPY Harnessing the body’s own immune system to fight cancer is the focus of a promising new approach called immunotherapy. The Princess Margaret is proud to lead Canada’s most comprehensive immunotherapy program. Recently, Dr. Pamela Ohashi and her team expanded their research by opening Canada’s 1st Adoptive T-Cell Clinical Trial for mesothelioma patients. Priming the Immune System to Fight Cancer: STEM CELLS IN CANCER The Princess Margaret has an ongoing legacy of groundbreaking success in stem cell research, starting from Drs. James Till and Ernest McCulloch’s discovery of stem cells in 1961, to Dr. John Dick’s discovery of leukemia stem cells in 1994. As Dr. Dick explains, “you can keep cutting the leaves off a weed, but the weed will regrow. But if you cut the tap roots, the leaves will wither away. Killing the cancer stem cells is the equivalent of killing the root of the weed.” Further cancer stem cell research, with Dr. Dick and his team, will unlock clues to find more targeted treatments that can eliminate cancer without damaging healthy tissue. Finding the Root of Cancer: ACCELERATE CANCER RESEARCH