Project Leaders:   
Brad Nelson, Peter Watson, John Webb, Christoph Borchers, Julian Lum

Lead Institutions:   
BC Cancer Agency, The University of Victoria, Genome BC-UVic Proteomics Centre

Research Funding Program:   
SOF 1

The cell sorter obtained using Genome BC funds will allow identification of many more different tumor specific cell types that can then be studied using both genomic and proteomic research platforms and will allow more accurate biobanking of different tumor and cell types. This is important in the development of increasingly specific treatments based on the vast differences found between cancerous cells.

Populations of cancer cells often contain many different subpopulations of cells within any particular tumor. These subpopulations include cell types that may be cancer-initiating cell (CICs) that are particularly resistant to the traditional treatments of chemo- and radiotherapy. Treatments that target the specific cancer stem cells (or CICs) are being investigated that use the natural specificity and sensitivity of the human immune system to destroy these potent cancerous cells. This project will employ the recently acquired MoFLOTM-XDP cell sorter to distinguish the different subpopulations of cells, thereby more accurately explore new targets for cancer immunotherapies.