Immunology-Oncology

Leader: Dr Nathalie Labrecque, Ph.D. 

The multidisciplinary activities of the Immunology-Oncology Research Axis primarily deal with cancer research. Owing to its rich history, acquired knowledge, advanced clinical services and the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy, this research axis mainly focuses on diseases of the blood.

Research Areas
Partnerships
Research Chairs
Accomplishments and Recent Achievements
Prospects
University Affiliations

Research Areas

• Cellular stress: DNA repair, oxidative inflammation and stress.
• Transcription/chromatin/regulation: ubiquitination/disubiquitination and regulation of gene expression in progenitor stem cells and upon hematopoiesis.
• Immunology: T lymphocytes differentiation and autoimmune diseases.
• Cellular therapy: stem cell expansion, immunotherapy and immunotolerance.

The Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank is affiliated to the Immunology-Oncology Research Axis. Use the search tool to discover our immunology-oncology research investigators.

Partnerships

A partnership agreement was signed with the University of Montreal’s Immunology and Cancer Research Institute (IRIC). Within the scope of this agreement, both institutions consolidated the establishment of collaborative research and jointly submitted major funding requests, which were granted with great success.

Research Chairs

Research Chair in leukemia supported by Industrial Alliance: Dr Josée Hébert, M.D., F.R.C.P. (C).

Accomplishments and Recent Achievements

• 5 new research investigators were recruited: El Bachir Affar, Janet Bijl, Sylvie Lesage, Luigina Mollica and Martin Guimond.
• A grant of $8.5 million was obtained from the Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade of Quebec for the construction of a Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy.
• Funding of $6.5 million was obtained from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), in partnership with the IRIC to accelerate the commercialization of new cancer treatments.
• A grant of $3.8 million was obtained from the Canada Foundation for Innovation for the “IRIC Phase II: From Target Discovery to Clinical Application” request. Participation in the Pharmacogenomics Centre project piloted by the Montreal Heart Institute at the University of Montreal was granted.
• A grant of $563 000 was allocated to Dr Dindial Ramotar by the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund.
• Major recognition of research investigators on behalf of funding organizations such as the National Cancer Institute of Canada (E. B. Affar), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (S. Lesage and N. Labrecque), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (J. Filep, D. Ramotar, E. Milot, E. Carmona and E. Drobetsky) and the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec (D. C. Roy, J. Hébert, L. Busque, E. B. Affar, S. Lesage, G. Mollica and Martin Guimond).

Prospects

The development of the Immunology-Oncology Research Axis is being organized around the Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy, which is due to open in spring of 2010. This technical wherewithal, the only one of its kind in Quebec, will enable investigators to conduct leading-edge research on hematopoietic stem cells, the immune system and cancer. It will have a major clinical impact, particularly on the establishment of a fellowship program.
In order to support and continue its development, particularly in the area of cellular biology, the Immunology-Oncology Research Axis plans to recruit at least four new investigators by 2012.

University Affiliations 

The research investigators of the Immunology-Oncology Research Axis are affiliated and carry out one or more course loads with the following departments and faculties of the University of Montreal:

• Medicine,
• Graduate and Postgraduate Studies,
• Pharmacology,
• Biomedical Sciences,
• Ophthalmology,
• Microbiology and Immunology,
• Molecular Biology,
• Pathology and Cellular Biology,
• Biochemistry.
  

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