Research summary
Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women and the deadliest gynecological disease. Although new treatments have recently been approved, drug resistance remains a major challenge. There is an urgent need for new personalized approaches to prevent the development of drug resistance in patients with ovarian tumours.
Dr. Marilyne Labrie, Canada Research Chair in Development of Personalized Therapies for Ovarian Cancer Patients, has already demonstrated that cancer cells’ adaptive responses to stress represent an opportunity to provide personalized therapeutics that could delay or prevent drug resistance. Now, she and her research team are studying how ovarian tumours adapt to various types of endogenous (internal), environmental and therapeutic stressors. Their findings will help define stress-related therapeutic vulnerabilities and lead to personalized therapeutic approaches.