A Q&A with Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, president and scientific director, Dr. Thomas Hudson

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By Shawn Lawrence

The recent stem cell deal signed by the government leaders of Ontario (Premier Dalton McGuinty) and California (Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) in late May garnered much media attention as a bold step in advancing cancer research north and south of the border. Hailed as a promising initiative in uncovering new therapies for cancer, the deal saw the creation of a new organization, Cancer Stem Cell Consortium.

At the forefront of this new consortium is the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), charged with the responsibility of overseeing the collaboration efforts between researchers here and in California. Additionally, $30 million from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research has been earmarked for the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium.

In this month’s edition of Q&A, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research president and scientific director Dr. Thomas Hudson discusses the OICR’s role within the framework of this agreement and how it relates to its mandate as well as the implications of the deal in terms of advancing the quest for a cure for cancer and cancer research in Canada.


Q: What is OICR’s mandate and how does it relate to the role it hopes to play in this consortium?

A: Our mandate is:
- To strengthen Ontario’s cancer research capacity and to contribute to the development of the next generation of cancer researchers by attracting outstanding researchers to the province and ensuring that the very best of the established and newer/rising-star scientists remain in Ontario;
- To attract private sector investment in research and to commercialize research findings to the economic benefit of Ontario.

It is my feeling that OICR’s participation in the consortium will speed up the rate of discoveries and lead to the creation of more effective new therapies for the control of cancer. It will also help move the new discoveries out of the laboratory and into clinical trials more quickly.

The first steps are to discover cancer stem cell biomarkers, conduct genomic studies to identify the genes expressed in cancer stem cells and to develop anti-cancer therapies that target cancer stem cells.

Q: How did OICR become involved in this initiative?

A: OICR developed a strategic plan to guide its research activities and ensure that its resources were allocated to areas where OICR could have the greatest impact. The plan builds on the strengths and opportunities in Ontario and focuses on areas of research where there is the greatest likelihood of major breakthroughs.

The plan identifies cancer stem cell research as a priority as it offers the possibility of identifying targets for new treatments that could control cancer and lead to better outcomes. Cancer stem cells are a rare class of cells found in tumours that are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy which kill the cancer tumour cells. They cause a recurrence and metastasis of the cancer.

For OICR the consortium is the ideal way to execute the cancer stem cell program in its strategic plan.

Ontario has a critical mass of leaders in cancer stem cell research and OICR is building on that strength. There is also a history of scientific accomplishment in Ontario and in stem cell research. Two Ontario scientists, Dr. James Till and Dr. Ernest McCulloch, discovered stem cells while a large number of internationally-recognized leaders in stem cell research are working in Ontario today. California researchers also pioneered the discovery of cancer stem cells and a significant percentage of the world’s cancer stem cell researchers are in California.

The Cancer Stem Cell Consortium offers a terrific opportunity to speed up the rate of discovery and to move the discoveries from the laboratory into clinical trials. The collaboration is an excellent fit with OICR’s strategy of focusing on the areas where there are great strengths and great promise for scientific breakthrough. Scientists working together on a large scale effort with multiple research teams, sharing cutting-edge technology and common research goals will make greater progress than small, individual projects. The sustained funding available to researchers through the consortium will ensure that the expertise and technologies required for this work are available. The world-leading business expertise available in both jurisdictions will be harnessed through the consortium to turn the discoveries into treatments.

Q: Why partner with California?

A: Canada's trade with California outpaces our trade with the United Kingdom, Japan, China and Mexico combined. Moreover, Canada is California’s second-largest market after Mexico. Both Ontario and California are big jurisdictions and each locale is filled with large clusters of companies that have dealings in cancer research. Overall, approximately 70% of all cancer stem cell research takes place in these two jurisdictions where highly qualified people are in abundance. There are also several highly qualified labs filled with people that are considered pioneers in genomic and proteomics. The consortium is a way to capitalize on both business and research opportunities.

Q: What are some of the benefits of using the consortia model?

A: Let me begin by saying that it’s very easy for us to embrace this initiative. I believe a consortium is a model that works quite well. The fact that Genome Canada proposed it as a model speaks much about its potential. This type of research is new and that’s what the consortium is about: to find a new arsenal of treatment. A consortium puts a large number of people to work on a problem and harnesses the strengths of many researchers in different disciplines. It avoids duplication of effort and speeds up the pace of discovery.

Q: What can be learned through stem cell research in relation to cancer research?

A: Research in this area is brand new and very exciting. Cancer stem cells are found only in cancer tumours. They are rare cells and have unique properties identified by John Dick, who discovered cancer stem cells in leukemia and colon cancer, Peter Dirks who identified them in brain cancer and other pioneers. Most cancer cells cannot divide but the cancer stem cells proliferate. They are not affected by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. They survive and may remain dormant for a while but eventually they go on to create new tumours, causing a recurrence of the disease and metastases. If it becomes possible to knock out the tumour cells with chemotherapy and radiation and also kill the cancer stem cells, it will be possible for the first time to cure cancer.

Q: How was the contribution figure of $30 million in funding determined?

A: OICR’s mandate is to strengthen the cancer research capacity in Ontario. We developed a strategy that identified the priority areas of research, areas where there is a great deal of expertise and experience in Ontario that we can build on and where it will be possible for us to make a significant contribution to a better understanding of what causes cancer and how to treat it successfully.

We identified four areas of research – prevention, early diagnosis, cancer targets and new therapeutics. The budget available for research was allocated accordingly. Cancer stem cell research is the program that will enable us to identify targets for treatment that will control cancer and result in better outcomes.

We earmarked $30 million of the OICR budget for this work because of its importance in identifying targets for treatment and the likelihood of success. Our model of research involves collaboration with partners who make a financial contribution to the program, thus leveraging our investment into a much larger pool of funds. We are confident that a number of partners will collaborate in the program providing both investigator expertise and funds.

Q: How long will it be before we see the full impact of this deal and start seeing the benefits of the consortium?

A: It should take roughly 15 years before we see the actual process come into full fruition, but the immediate sharing and exchange of information within this consortium should accelerate the process of making some findings. In general, consortium models such as these tend to accelerate progress because it leads to large scale data generation resulting in a faster move from biotech into clinical trials.

Dr. Thomas Hudson is the president and scientific director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. Dr. Hudson's career in research leadership began in 1991 at the Whitehead/MIT Center for Genomic Research near Boston, where he worked on the Human Genome Project as leader of the physical mapping team, and eventually, as assistant director of the Center. In 1996 he returned to Canada and founded the Montreal Genome Centre. He was also named in the 1999 Globe and Mail Canada Top 40 under 40 and in 2000 he named Radio-Canada Scientist of the Year and in 2005 with Maclean’s magazine Achievement of the Year in Healthcare.