Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Michael Smith to Lead Initiative
Vancouver -- The BC Cancer Agency will create the first genome sequence centre in Canada to be directly linked to a cancer treatment and research organization. Dr. Michael Smith, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 1993) and Peter Wall Distinguished Professor of Biotechnology, at the University of British Columbia, will be the first director of the Genome Sequence Centre.

"This unique effort will help Canada make significant contributions to international science in general and to cancer treatment in particular," says Dr. Michael Smith. "A genome sequence centre in B.C. will attract activity in the biomedical research sector and in industries. It will encourage companies to work here and take advantage of the technology and information that will be developed."

Genome science, or genomics, identifies and decodes all the genes of a living organism. Genome refers to the full complement of genes in an organism. At the heart of this science is DNA, or gene sequencing. Genes are made of DNA, which provide the instructions for our physical growth and development. It is a relatively new field for science and research, with tremendous potential for discovery, innovation and breakthrough for science, medicine and technology.

Laboratories in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are collaborating in an international effort, the Human Genome Project, to complete the sequencing of the human genome in the next ten years. The task is enormous. There are 3 billion base pairs of nucleotides arranged in a specific sequence, organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes, containing about 100,000 genes. Currently, just 1.5 per cent of this work has been completed.

"This is an ideal time to establish a Canadian group to participate in this most important international initiative," says Dr. Victor Ling, vice-president of research at the BC Cancer Agency. "In Dr. Smith, we have the right leader. He can bring the best minds together for this project. A Vancouver-based genome sequence centre will quickly bring discoveries and benefits of the international effort to cancer research and treatment in B.C."

A unifying theory has recently emerged among the world's scientists: specific mutations in DNA cause cancer. Genes regulate normal cell growth and division - indeed, all aspects of the cell's life cycle. However, when genetic signals malfunction, cells grow uncontrollably, invade and displace other cells and spread throughout the body. Hereditary and environmental factors cause cells to become abnormal. Although the hereditary role is relatively small, external influences, such as diet, smoking and lifestyle, can damage DNA and lead to skewed signals in cells, and perhaps cancer.

Genome sequencing is a means to an end. That end is a whole new approach to cancer therapy. Cancer control (prevention, diagnosis, treatment) will be fundamentally changed through genome science. In the future, researchers will be able to read the genetic structure of a single cell, identify the difference between normal and cancer cells, and follow genetic changes that cause cells to become cancerous. Researchers will also be able to reveal specific cell changes that are precursors to cancer, thus making early detection techniques more effective.

A genome sequence centre is a high-tech facility capable of sequencing a large volume of DNA. Canada does not yet have such a sequencing centre. A team of scientists from the BC Cancer Research Centre, UBC, UVIC, and SFU, each recognized internationally for his or her work, have worked to establish the Centre and define the major elements of the genome sequencing activity. The Centre will recruit leading scientists to develop its research programs. Among these scientists are British Columbians who left the country to pursue their research, and are excited about the possibility of returning home.

"The Medical Research Council has constantly challenged the research community to be creative, innovative and work with partners with common interests to go further, to create something bigger than what might be achieved by individual efforts," says Dr. Henry Friesen, president of the Medical Research Council of Canada. "The BC Cancer Agency and Canada's Nobel Laureate Dr. Michael Smith have demonstrated exactly this leadership in addressing nationally important genome sequencing capabilities in this unique facility."

Establishing the genome sequence centre is one of the first achievements of the BC Cancer Agency's Millennium Campaign. Launched in April of this year, the Agency and the BC Cancer Foundation have set out to raise $100 million for cancer research, to unlock the mysteries of cancer and discover its cures. The genome sequence centre is a $25 million project, made possible by the BC Cancer Foundation. It will be operational in the fall of 1998. Over the next year, Dr. Smith will assemble his research team, determine the equipment and resources that are needed, and work to secure ongoing funding for the centre.

"The University is delighted to support this initiative of the BC Cancer Agency and Research Centre," says Dr. Martha Piper, president, University of British Columbia. "We are excited at the prospect of UBC's own Michael Smith heading this bold program and look forward to outstanding science and clinical applications."

"Research in the past two decades has identified mutations in the DNA of the human genome as a fundamental cause of cancer. The efforts of the Vancouver group to focus on Genome Science as another weapon in the fight against cancer will have broad impact for all aspects of Cancer Research," says Dr. Bob Phillips, Executive Director, National Cancer Institute of Canada. "Having a scientist of the stature of Dr Michael Smith heading this team is a real boost for cancer research not only in Canada but internationally. The National Cancer Institute of Canada applauds this initiative".

"Genome science is the basis of future cancer research. It will drive new directions for all research and new treatments for cancer patients," says Dr. Don Carlow, president and CEO, BC Cancer Agency. "With the Genome Sequence Centre we are providing a fundamental research tool for us to reach out and go in new directions."

For information, please see attached materials or phone Libby Brown, Public Relations, (604)-877-6107