Skip over navigation
The Hospital
Research
Support Us
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Home
Français
Directions & Maps
Contact Us
About Us
Vision and Strategic Directions
Board Chair and CEO Message
Leadership Team
Annual Reports
Facilities
Research Data Management
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Wellness
Our Research
Priorities, Programs and Diseases
Researcher Profiles
National Research Networks
Scientific Publications
Research Awards
Technology Transfer
Industry Sponsored Research
Responsible Innovation
For Students & Fellows
News & Events
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Career Opportunities
For Patients
News & Events
Home
>
News & Events
>
Newsroom
Bookmark or Share
Display Options
Display Options
+
Increase
/
-
Decrease
font size
High contrast version
Printer-friendly version
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Newsroom
Researchers find a way to supercharge cancer-fighting viruses
June 14, 2016
A research team led by Drs.
Jean-Simon Diallo
,
Christopher Boddy
and
Jeffrey Smith
has created a new molecule that could help cancer-fighting viruses be more effective against a wider variety of tumours. Engineered viruses that destroy cancer cells while leaving the surrounding tissues unharmed have been shown to be safe for humans, but their ability to shrink tumours varies greatly. About two thirds of tumours reduce their capacity to defend against viruses, but the rest maintain this ability. The research team found a compound that can disrupt these defenses, increasing virus replication in resistant cancer cells up to 1,000-fold. In animal models, the combination of a virus called VSVΔ51 with the small molecule they developed significantly delayed tumour progression and improved survival compared to the virus alone. The results are published in
Scientific Reports
.
Authors:
Mark H. Dornan, Ramya Krishnan, Andrew M. Macklin, Mohammed Selman, Nader El Sayes, Hwan Hee Son, Colin Davis, Andrew Chen, Kerkeslin Keillor, Penny Le, Christina Moi, Paula Ou2, Christophe Pardin, Carlos R. Canez, Fabrice Le Boeuf, John C. Bell, Jeffrey C. Smith, Jean-Simon Diallo & Christopher N. Boddy.
Funders:
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Collaborative Research Project Grant, Terry Fox Research Institute, The Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation, Innovation Grant of the Canadian Cancer Society
The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care.
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
For further information, please contact
Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca