From the power of the gut microbiome to hidden patterns in X-rays and CT scans, researchers at Western University are making discoveries that drive impact in cancer prevention, treatment and recovery.
On World Cancer Day, Western News features some of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professors who are designing innovative approaches to revolutionize cancer care and deepen our understanding of the disease.
'Taking charge of cancer'
Dr. David Palma, a Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor and radiation oncologist at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at London Health Sciences Centre, is trying to change the way patients understand and fight their cancer diagnoses.
When Palma's best friend died from colon cancer, he realized people needed more step-by-step information about how to plan and manage their care. He shares simple tips for patients and their families to understand and improve the path of their cancer treatment while also advancing research on precision radiotherapy with clinical trials.
"It's best for a patient to take control of the situation, to be the pilot, to be the navigator," Palma said.
Medical biophysics and oncology professor Sarah Mattonen is uncovering hidden patterns in scans to find clues about the future of a person's cancer journey or the impact of their treatments.
Using the power of AI, she's turning medical images into roadmaps for personalized cancer care. This practice of extracting more data from images that may otherwise be missed - radiomics - is leading to real change.
"It could be a CT scan, an MRI, an ultrasound - you can really apply radiomics to any imaging modality, which is great. We draw out the tumour on the images and extract these features. It could show us differences in the shape, size, texture."
DNA revolution in cancer care
One-size-fits-all medicine doesn't sit well with Dr. Richard Kim. He champions pharmacogenmoics, a field that uses genetics to match the right drug to the right patient.
"A 0.1% difference makes us individuals," he said. "By focusing on genetic differences in some of the genes that are important for medication response, we can better predict medication dosing."
The impact is immense, especially for those who suffer severe side effects from chemotherapy.
Imagine sending medicine directly to a tumour and watching it move through the body in real time. John Ronald, professor of medical biophysics, works to "supercharge" our own cells to target and kill cancer.
His lab is also advancing techniques to track those supercharged fighters. Where do they go? Why does treatment work for some but not others? Ronald, director of imaging laboratories at Robarts Research Institute, uses imaging to find out.
"We take genes from fireflies, and put them into cells. When we inject them into an animal, we can see where they go. The cells glow, just like a firefly. You can also take the genes from sea creatures that bioluminesce."
Role of immunity
Mansour Haeryfar is studying MAIT cells, a unique type of immune cell that can be equipped to hunt down tumours.
His research suggests these cells could be harnessed as a basis for powerful and universal therapies.
"They are like loaded guns," Haeryfar said. "These are cells that can go after tumour cells directly, but at the same time, they are regulatory cells. They can regulate or modulate the function of other immune cells that can be either helpful or harmful to us. We'd like to know how we can manipulate them to our own advantage."
Poop pills during cancer treatment? You heard that right. Saman Maleki, a Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor and scientist at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, is exploring fecal microbiota transplants (also known as FMT) to boost the power of cancer-fighting immunotherapy and lessen side effects.
He's zeroed in on the importance of gut microbes.
"I was always fascinated with how the immune system interacts with all these organisms that exist in our gut. The biggest immune organ we have is the gut, because you have these trillions of bacteria that are constantly in cross-talk and conversation with the immune system," Maleki said.
Tackling a 'complex foe' with lifestyle changes
Breast cancer expert Dr. Ana Lohmann is a medical oncologist and scientist who studies the role of biology and lifestyle in cancer prevention and recurrence.
It goes beyond individual choices: Social inequities influence outcomes.
"Our lifestyle, in general, doesn't favour women's health," she said. "It is very hard in our society right now, but try to keep a normal weight if possible, a healthy diet, avoid smoking and alcohol."
Hear more from the experts leading cutting-edge cancer research through Schulich Medicine & Dentistry's podcast, The Catalysts.
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