Key research investment continues to enable discoveries
October 19, 2016
Tissue bank network has a powerful impact
An important resource for the research community, the tissue bank network collects and stores tissue samples from ovarian cancer patients. These samples and associated data are available to scientists and physicians studying ovarian cancer.
“The tissue banks open opportunities for in-depth studies as their databases capture valuable information about patients and their samples,” says Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden, Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the University of Ottawa, and Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “Discoveries made possible by the tissue banks stand to impact the detection, diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.”
Importantly, samples and data from the Ovarian Cancer Canada Tissue Bank Network enable translational research that helps move science beyond the lab to benefit women living with ovarian cancer.
To date, the tissue banks have enabled numerous discoveries. Some recent highlights follow:
- An emerging method that uses a small piece of a patient’s tumour tissue to test various chemotherapies and determine which works best. This work aims to support a more personalized approach to cancer care by identifying the most effective treatment for a patient based on how their tissue sample responds when tested.
- Identification of biomarkers that help determine which patients respond best to PARP inhibitors, such as Olaparib. PARP inhibitors are promising new drugs that block DNA repair to eventually destroy cancer cells. By defining the conditions necessary for PARP inhibitors to take effect, related research could lead to more tailored treatment strategies.
- A protein that may be able to prevent the spread of cancer cells. Levels of a protein, called cyclin G2, seem to drop or disappear completely as cancer cells become malignant. However, when this protein is returned to cancer cells; it inhibits growth, migration, and invasion. Cyclin G2’s tumour-suppressing effect could potentially be used to keep ovarian cancer from metastasizing.
- Evidence linking endometriosis to risk of ovarian cancer. Canada stands at the forefront of this major discovery, with a recently-published study substantiating a genetic connection. Though the origins of certain types of ovarian cancer are still unknown, this new knowledge could help further understanding.
The Ovarian Cancer Canada Tissue Bank Network is currently comprised of three sites, each housed by leading institutions for ovarian cancer research. These include BC Cancer Agency, Ottawa Regional Cancer Agency, and Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montréal (CHUM).
Initially established as a pilot project in 2000, the tissue bank network continues to be one of Ovarian Cancer Canada’s largest research contributions. Over the last decade, samples from the tissue banks have been used in more than 450 ovarian cancer research projects in Canada and internationally.
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