Research News

	Clinical trial drug could boost cancer-fighting viruses October 13, 2023 - New research led by Dr. Jean-Simon Diallo’s group shows that a compound called pevonedistat, which is currently showing promise in cancer clinical trials, could boost the activity of cancer-fighting viruses.
	Making ‘living therapies’: The Ottawa Hospital’s Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre plays critical role in Ontario life sciences sector October 2, 2023 - Biotherapeutics have enormous potential to improve health and save lives and Ontario has the potential to lead the way in manufacturing these innovative therapies.
	Next-generation cancer-fighting viruses could be fine-tuned with a pill June 2, 2023 - Cancer-fighting (oncolytic) viruses can infect and kill cancer cells without harming normal tissues, while also delivering therapeutic / toxic genes to tumours and stimulating an anti-cancer immune response.
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	Dr. Piriya Yoganathan named one of Ottawa’s Forty Under 40 May 5, 2023 - This sought-after business award is a joint initiative of the Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Business Journal.
	The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, and McMaster University join forces to prepare Canada for future pandemics March 2, 2023 - Building on the knowledge gained over nearly three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), the University of Ottawa and McMaster University are joining forces with partners to create the Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub (CP2H).
	Potential colorectal cancer treatment combines immunotherapy and viral therapy in a powerful new way February 16, 2023 - Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment of many kinds of cancer, but for colorectal cancer, success has been limited to patients with rare genetic mutations. To tackle this challenge, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital engineered a new kind of
	Fireflies help researcher shine a light on COVID-19 November 2, 2022 - As a child watching fireflies in northern Iran, Dr. Taha Azad never dreamed he would someday use the secret behind their glow to help fight cancer and a global pandemic.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 19 CIHR grants worth more than $12 million July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, muscle
	Cancer-fighting viruses soften up their victims before attacking April 7, 2022 - A research team based at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa has developed a virus that infects and kills cancer cells without harming normal cells, while also sending out signals to prepare nearby uninfected cancer cells for viral attac
	Personalized anti-cancer vaccine shows promise in mice January 28, 2022 - Treatments for cancer are becoming increasingly personalized, not just to a type of cancer, but even to an individual patient. A new study successfully applies this strategy in a new way in mouse models.
	Startup company Virica Biotech aims to enhance production of viral medicines October 4, 2021 - Virica Biotech, a startup company founded by Dr. Jean-Simon Diallo, announced a major funding milestone and the grand opening of its new process innovation facility this month.
	Virus versus virus: novel approach shows promise against HIV in lab study July 12, 2021 - Thanks to the development of effective drugs, HIV has become a chronic, treatable condition for most people. But it still isn’t curable, and that isn’t good enough for Dr. Jonathan Angel and his colleagues.
	Biotherapeutics: the future of medicine May 25, 2021 - World-class biotherapeutics facility at The Ottawa Hospital uses cells, genes and viruses to create unique life-saving treatments
	Vaccines and viral immunotherapies: unique Canadian program provides training to manufacture biotherapeutics November 21, 2020 - As COVID-19 highlights the urgent need to increase vaccine manufacturing around the world, a unique training program is bolstering Canada’s capacity to manufacture vaccines, as well as viral immunotherapies for cancer and other emerging biotherapeuti
	From “what if” to “what is” October 9, 2020 - What if you could deliver just one product, in this case one cancer-killing (or oncolytic) virus, to any kind of cancer and have that virus turn into something customized to kill one particular cancer –your own.
	The Ottawa Hospital and uOttawa launch new cancer immunotherapy research projects with funding from BioCanRx September 22, 2020 - BioCanRx, Canada’s Immunotherapy Network, today announced funding of $10M for 14 cancer immunotherapy research projects and eight core and biomanufacturing facilities across the country. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and the University of
	Virus and targeted drug synergize to fight cancer in mice August 26, 2020 - While some cancer cells can be killed quickly by a single drug, the reality for patients is that multiple therapies are often required, especially if resistance develops. A new study led by Dr. Jean-Simon Diallo reveals for the first time that two pr
	Harnessing cancer-fighting viruses to develop a COVID-19 vaccine June 25, 2020 - Drs. Carolina Ilkow, John Bell and colleagues are harnessing their expertise in making oncolytic (cancer-fighting) viruses to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, in partnership with scientists and clinicians in Canada and around the world.
	Cancer-killing viruses provide inspiration for COVID-19 vaccine April 28, 2020 - While physical distancing has slowed the spread of COVID-19, the vast majority of people around the world remain susceptible to the virus. That’s why most experts believe we won’t be able to fully find a new normal until a vaccine is developed. At T
	Viral therapy for cancer: Frequently asked questions from patients and families October 1, 2019 - What is viral therapy for cancer? Viral therapy for cancer, also called oncolytic viral therapy or viral immunotherapy, makes use of viruses to treat cancer.
	Dr. John Bell wins public and patient engagement award April 15, 2019 - Dr. John Bell won the inaugural European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy Public and Patient Engagement Award.
	Researchers uncover possible new mechanism to enhance cancer-killing viruses July 11, 2018 - Cancer-killing (oncolytic) viruses have shown promise in the lab and the clinic, but they don’t always work. New research led by Dr. Carolina Ilkow could help change this. While normal cells often lose their first line of antiviral defenses when they
	MS drug makes cancer-fighting viruses more effective in lab models February 7, 2018 - A drug used to treat multiple sclerosis and psoriasis can dramatically enhance the spread of cancer-fighting viruses in human tumour samples and animal models, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine. A team led by Dr. Jean
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded $12.7M for research, double the national CIHR success rate January 30, 2018 - Sixteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $12.7 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a success r
	Could viruses take cancer immunotherapy to the next level? Study shows viruses and checkpoint inhibitors work together to cure resistant breast cancer in mice January 3, 2018 - Immunotherapy, which helps the body’s immune system attack cancer, has revolutionized treatment for cancers such as melanoma and leukemia. However, many other kinds of cancer remain resistant. A new study led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and
	Using viruses to fight viruses: new approach eliminates “dormant” HIV-infected cells December 18, 2017 - While Ottawa researchers are known for their work on cancer-fighting viruses, one team is applying these viruses to a new target: HIV. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered that the Maraba virus, or MG1, c
	Ottawa researchers to play lead role in new cancer immunotherapy studies February 15, 2017 - BioCanRx funds research into CAR-T and virus-infected cell therapy Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa will play a lead role in cutting-edge research on cancer immunotherapy, thanks to five new peer-reviewed researc
	Virus vs. Prostate Cancer: Canadian Researchers Pioneer Next-generation Therapy -- Prostate Cancer Canada and the Movember Foundation partner to make innovative work possible September 30, 2015 - A multi-disciplinary team of scientists and clinicians led by Dr. John Bell of The Ottawa Hospital is developing a treatment for prostate cancer using viruses that destroy cancer cells and boost the anti-cancer immune response, all the while leaving

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Atkins, Harold MD, FRCPC	Senior Clinician Investigator (Cancer Therapeutics)	Autoimmune disease, Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Blood cancer, Cancer, Multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia gravis, Stiff person syndrome	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Clinical trials, Immunotherapy, Oncolytic viruses, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Translational research, Transplantation, Viral therapy
Auer, Rebecca MD, MSc, FRCSC	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Colorectal cancer, Ovarian cancer, Pancreatic cancer	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Peri-operative medicine, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Translational research, Viral therapy
Bell, John PhD, FRSC, FCAHS	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, COVID-19	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
Diallo, Jean-Simon PhD	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, COVID-19, Infectious disease	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Drug development, Gene therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
Ilkow, Carolina PhD	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Breast cancer, COVID-19, Ovarian cancer, Pancreatic cancer	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Gene therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
Kekre, Natasha BSc, MD, MPH, FRCPC	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Blood cancer, Cancer	Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Clinical trials, Epidemiology, Immunotherapy, Patient engagement, Stem cells, Translational research, Transplantation, Viral therapy
Nessim, Carolyn MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS	Clinician Investigator (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Colorectal cancer, Gastric cancer, Gastrointestinal disease, Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), Soft tissue sarcoma, Skin cancer	Biomarkers, Clinical trials, Gene expression, Immunotherapy, Surgery, Translational research, Viral therapy, Clinical research, Immunotherapy
Parks, Robin Ph.D.	Senior Scientist (Regenerative Medicine)	Brain and neuromuscular disease, Cancer, Common cold, Muscular dystrophy, Neuromuscular disease	Gene therapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Viral therapy
Quizi, Jennifer PhD	Investigator (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Infectious disease	Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Cell therapy, Drug development, Gene therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
Ramsay, Timothy PhD	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Addiction, Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Anxiety, Ataxia, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Colorectal cancer, Concussion, Cystic fibrosis, Dementia, Depression, Dystonia, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, HIV, Immigrant and refugee health, Influenza, Kidney disease, Lung cancer, Macular degeneration, Men's health, Multiple sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy, Myasthenia gravis, Obesity, Ovarian cancer, Parkinson's, Pulmonary hypertension, Septic shock, Spinal cord injury	Artificial intelligence and data science, Behaviour, Biomaterials, Biostatistics, Cell therapy, Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Drug development, Emergency medicine, Epidemiology, Health professional behaviour change, Health promotion, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Palliative care, Patient decision aids, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Prevention, Psychology, Psychometrics, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Regenerative medicine, Rehabilitation, Risk assessment, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews, Transfusions, Translational research, Transplantation, Viral therapy
Vanderhyden, Barbara PhD	Senior Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Infertility, Ovarian cancer, Women's health	Basic research, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Cancer biotherapeutics, Disease models, Drug development, Epigenetics, Gene expression, Genomics, Immunotherapy, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Stem cells, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research, Viral therapy

Related Resources

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Cancer Therapeutics Program

Cancer biotherapeutics research at The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre

BioCanRx - Canada's Immunotherapy Network