VANCOUVER, BC   - The fight against prostate cancer at the BC Cancer Agency has received a major boost from the US Army. Dr. Cheryl Helgason, principal investigator and senior scientist at BCCA, has been awarded $400,000 by the U.S. Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program, for a three-year study to determine how prostate tumour cells react with cells that help fight infection and disease.

Treatments that use immune cells to help the body fight cancer tumours are relatively new. Currently, vaccination strategies are only used in the late stages of prostate cancer. Through research, it may be possible to develop new immune therapies to target prostate tumours in their earliest stages.

"This is a novel approach, because we’re trying to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight the cancer," explains Dr. Helgason, principal investigator. "By using the body’s own resources, we hope to develop a more effective treatment that may be used solely or in combination with other therapies. Currently a number of chemotherapies are used, but only 10 percent of patients respond well, with short remissions of less that six months. Obviously, we need to do better."

Of particular interest for this immune-based study are dendritic cells - the sentinels of the immune system. Dendritic cells patrol tissues to guard against signs of infection or inflammation. They are able to engulf pieces of "invaders," such as tumour cells, and take them to T lymphocytes. The T lymphocytes then generate an immune response against similar invasive cells.

Recent studies suggest that when coming into contact with prostate cancer cells, however, dendritic cells lose their ability to survive. This means they can’t stimulate T cells, and this lowers the immune system’s ability to defend the body against the growing tumour. The goal of the BCCA project is to discover how prostate tumour cells "talk" to dendritic cells.

"We hope to create a new therapy that can then be translated into a clinical trial," says Dr. Marianne Sadar, program leader for prostate cancer research at BCCA, and study co-applicant. "Our goal is to take this research from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside as quickly as we can."

Current therapy for prostate cancer confined to the prostate includes surgery and local radiation. Although these treatments can effectively inhibit the growth of tumours, for advanced and metastatic tumours, withdrawal of testosterone is the only available therapy, but it doesn’t provide a cure. There is an urgent need for the development of novel prostate cancer therapies that are effective at all stages of tumour progression.

The central theme of the United States Department of Defense Prostate Research Program is innovation. Scientific ventures that represent under-investigated avenues of research or novel applications of existing technologies are highly sought. Although the program wishes to encourage risk-taking research, such projects must nonetheless demonstrate solid scientific judgment and rationale.

This latest award brings the current level of BC Cancer Agency prostate cancer research funding from the US Department of Defense Prostate Research Program to over $2 million.

The BC Cancer Agency, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Research Centre conducts research into the causes and cures for cancer.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Nicole Adams
Public Relations Officer
BC Cancer Agency
(604) 877-6000, ex. 2076