2017 Annual Report

Cancer Discoveries Dr. Mathieu Lupien Dr. Mathieu Lupien was the principal investigator on a multi-institutional research project that looked at drivers of breast cancer development. Researchers discovered that mutations found outside of genes, that accumulate in estrogen receptor positive breast tumours throughout their development, act as dominant culprits driving the disease. “By investigating acquired mutations found outside of genes through the power of epigenetics, we have identified that functional regulatory components can be altered to impact the expression of genes to promote breast cancer development,” says Dr. Lupien. Dr. Jean Wang Dr. Jean Wang co-led a group of leukemia researchers to develop a 17-gene signature derived from leukemia stem cells, that can predict, at diagnosis, if patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will respond to standard treatment. These findings could potentially transform patient care in AML by giving clinicians a risk-scoring tool that within a day or two of diagnosis can predict an individual response and help guide treatment decisions. AML is one of the most deadly types of leukemia and the most common type of acute leukemia in adults; it increases in frequency as we age. In Canada, there are more than 1,200 new cases each year. The five-year survival ranges between 20% - 30% and is lower in older people. From the Lab to the Clinic 16 | 2017 Report to Our Donors FROM THE LAB TO THE CLINIC