The incredible lab

When my mom had surgery on Dec. 9, Angie, Michael and I were treated to a tour of the research labs at the London Regional Cancer Program. The cancer researchers have a floor to themselves, but unlike other scientists, they're not separate from the actual patients. They see them every day because they're in the same building. As a result, they know for whom they're working and see the faces of the people they help.

Being right in the cancer centre also allows them to collaborate and get validation of their work through meetings with the clinical oncologists. For example, when a researcher presented findings at a meeting, a doctor said the cells grown in the lab looked exactly like cancer in a patient.

Different researchers in the centre focus on different major cancers. But because they work in such close proximity, they share findings and learn from each other. Each group of researchers had its own separate lab, but there's also a core lab where scientists from all areas work. This type of environment encourages collaboration and allows the program to share major equipment, lowering costs.

Dr. Trevor Shepherd, our tour guide, leads the Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Group. While I didn't understand everything he said during our tour, it was enlightening and exciting. The research group's website identifies its two main goals:

- Conduct molecular and cellular analysis of ovarian cancer cells isolated and cultured from patient ascites (They got lots from me so maybe mine is being used to make brilliant discoveries!)

- Develop transgenic mouse models of human epithelial ovarian cancer (Or in other words, use mice to test theories and examine how ovarian cancer behaves and progresses in live cells.)

Due to a lack of reliable early detection methods, ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed when it's in its later stages. Late detection, along with poor therapeutic management, make this cancer the most lethal of the gynaecological malignancies. But the Transitional Ovarian Cancer Research Group is working to change that. I say, work faster!

They're looking for ways to diagnose the disease quicker, and provide better and more targeted treatment. Some of the research we learned about includes:

- The role of bone morphogentic protein (BMP) signalling in ovarian cancer cell adhesion and metastasis (I think that's looking at this BMP protein to see if it can identify cancer earlier)
- Studying scabs cells to discover the body's immune response and see if there's an indicator of cancer in them
- Examining how ovarian cancer cells join together to form spheroids when they're floating in the abdomen.

It's all quite amazing - and complicated.

We actually got to look at spheroids they grew in the lab under a microscope. They've discovered when cancer forms and it's not directly attached to tissue, the mutant cells stick together to form a spheroid. It's when these spheroids attach to an organ or abdominal wall, they start to multiply more quickly and cancer spreads.

The most exciting discovery for me (and therefore the one I remember the most) is the theory of using a virus that kills rabbits to target ovarian cancer tumours. Research shows this virus, when injected into the spheroids, will lie dormant until they attach. Then this virus kills the mutant cells. Unlike chemotherapy, the virus only attacks the mutant cancer cells, not all cells in the body. So if this theory works, this rabbit virus will kill only ovarian cancer cells as they start to form. How exciting! Give me some rabbit virus.

Another interesting thing I learned during the tour is that in cancer patients, the immune response to cancer (the body's natural ability to destroy mutant cells) is turned off, which allows cancer to grow. Chemotherapy can reactivate the immune response by differentiating the cancer cells (allowing the body to recognize these cells as different than normal, healthy cells) so the body recognizes them as foreign and kills them. They're studying what needs to change so the natural immune response can be turned back on in these people.

It was also interesting to discover how several of the researchers are injecting cancer cells into developing eggs without their shells to learn how they behave, spread and test the effectiveness of treatments.

Hopefully some of this great research will translate into clinical trials in real patients. To help facilitate these (and other clinical trials), the London Regional Cancer Program is currently renovating a floor so the researchers can work directly with qualified patients on various cancer clinical trials. This dedicated space will allow the patient involved to have all the tests and follow-up they need in one area to make it easier and quicker, as well as improve the quality of care.

When we walked away from our tour, we were excited about the research the Transitional Ovarian Cancer Research Team is doing and proud the money raised by Team Tina in May went directly to supporting this program. It geared us up for the 2010 run, which incidently is May 30, 2010 (note date change from original post). I know that's the long weekend, but I'd love for you to join me in this very important event. The website is http://www.runforovariancancer.ca/. To register, click on the box with the running shoe.

Let's make Team Tina even bigger than last year! Let's support the awesome work the research team is doing. Their work could save the lives of many women with ovarian cancer - maybe even mine.

Tina