VANCOUVER, BC - A breakthrough stem cell study at the BC Cancer Agency could offer enormous benefits to patients requiring bone marrow transplants for cancer. Details of this study are appearing on April 5 in the leading scientific journal Cell.

Dr. Keith Humphries, a senior scientist at the BC Cancer Agency's Terry Fox Lab (TFL), and Jennifer Antonchuk, graduate student, have discovered a way to reproduce stem cells of the blood forming system of adult mice - in large numbers - outside the body. Until now, scientists have had difficulty not only getting these cells to expand in number, but simply keeping them alive in culture outside the body. Research in the human model at the TFL is expected to begin soon.

"The ability to reproduce stem cells outside the body opens new doors to use these cells for treating cancers like leukemia, as well as many genetic disorders of the blood system," explains Dr. Humphries.

The key to this breakthrough is the gene HOXB4. After introducing HOXB4 into the bone marrow stem cells of mice with state-of-the-art gene transfer methods, researchers at BCCA, and their collaborator Dr. Guy Sauvageau in Montreal, found that cell growth was stimulated at unprecedented rates.

Stem cells are the only cells that can regenerate blood, and are essential for successful stem cell transplants. Because stem cells are so rare, it is often difficult to obtain enough stem cells from normal sources (such as cord blood or bone marrow) for treatment.

While the availability of stem cells from umbilical cord blood has greatly increased the number of potential donors, the number of stem cells in this blood is not adequate to treat most adults.

The BC Cancer Agency is recognized as a leader in the field of stem cell research. In February 2002, the Agency's Cancer Research Centre was awarded $3 million from the federal government to establish a new Stem Cell Research Centre. Humphries research has received critical funding from the National Cancer Institute, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Terry Fox Run, and the US National Institutes of Health.

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 request an interview, please contact:
Nicole Adams
Public Relations Officer
BC Cancer Agency
(604) 877-6272