Funding Boosts Ovarian Cancer Research
March 31, 2010 - News Release
A University of Guelph professor will expand his work on ovarian cancer with support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Prof. Jim Petrik has received $200,000 from CIHR's Institute of Gender and Health and the Ontario Women's Health Council.
Petrik, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Ontario Veterinary College, is one of only two scientists to receive a highly competitive Mid-Career Investigator Salary Award this year. The awards are for mid-career scientists who have made outstanding contributions, demonstrated leadership in their field and developed a reputation for excellence in research.
"I feel very fortunate to receive this award," said Petrik. "It's a great opportunity for us to refocus the work on ovarian cancer. The lab is expanding, and the funds will allow me to devote more resources and intellectual energy toward taking the research to the next level."
Petrik's research team is investigating how anti-angiogenic therapies — targeting the blood vessels that feed the growth of tumours — can be used in combination with chemotherapy drugs to improve treatment of ovarian cancer.
"The goal is not only to make the treatments more effective and improve outcomes for women, but also to improve their quality of life by reducing the use of chemotherapy drugs that have toxic side effects."
Petrik's lab is also supported by a CIHR operating grant and his work on ovarian cancer with colleague Prof. Roger Moorehead was funded by the Ontario Cancer Research Network. In 2008, their team published research that identified a protein expressed by ovarian cancer cells that may help with early detection of the disease.
Petrik's lab is also looking at possible links between elevated blood sugar and cancer and, more specifically, how women with hyperglycemia may be prone to developing a more aggressive form of ovarian cancer.
"All cells use glucose in the blood as a source of fuel, but cancer cells use more than healthy cells," said Petrik. "We want to take a closer look at the effects of hyperglycemic drugs and how we might use them to slow the growth of tumours, encourage regression and maybe even make them go away."
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, or l.hunt@exec.uoguelph.ca or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982 or d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca.
