Research summary
More than 40 per cent of Canadians will develop cancer at some point in their lives, and the disease is responsible for one in four deaths in Canada. We now understand the unique molecular and cellular characteristics of individual cancerous tumours—but there is a need to further develop precision medicine approaches to treat them.
Dr. Iacovos Michael, Canada Research Chair in Tumor Biology and Precision Oncology, has already demonstrated that cancer cells have phenotypic plasticity. In other words, they can migrate between molecular subtypes and adapt to the environments where they reside. This plasticity is involved in the two main causes of cancer mortality: the spread of cancer cells (metastasis) and acquired drug resistance. Now, Michael and his research team aim to dissect the pathways involved in phenotypic plasticity. Ultimately, their goal is to determine whether targeting plasticity can improve the survival and quality of life of patients with cancer.