The effects of cancer are devastating, especially in the Maritimes where cancer rates are some of the highest in Canada. But researchers at AV俱乐部 and other maritime universities are taking enormous efforts to develop novel approaches towards cancer treatments and prevention.
As our understanding of the deadly disease grows, the equipment needed for cancer research becomes increasingly advanced and expensive, with funding for new equipment relying almost exclusively on private donors.
That鈥檚 where the comes in 鈥� an annual campaign through the AV俱乐部 Medical Research Foundation that raises funds for medical research.
This year, the Molly Appeal is fundraising for a live-cell imaging facility that will allow AV俱乐部 cancer researchers to make new discoveries and develop new medical treatments.
鈥淥ne of the advantages of live-cell imaging is you can see what鈥檚 going on inside a cell in real time,鈥� says David Hoskin, cancer researcher and professor in Dal鈥檚 departments of Pathology and Microbiology & Immunology. 鈥淲ithout real-time imaging you may miss something, you may not necessarily see what鈥檚 happening to the whole cell.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tool that bigger centres have had the advantage of for a number of years now. It鈥檚 something we鈥檝e been lacking at AV俱乐部 and it鈥檚 a big advance for our cancer research community.鈥�
When asked about the importance of the imaging facility, Dr. Hoskin says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 cutting edge technology. Having this kind of imaging centre here will allow us to compete with the very best in the world.鈥�
A crucial resource
Part of the reason why campaigns like the Molly Appeal have become so important is that traditional sources of funding have become constrained in recent years.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no other resource that has a decent chance of success for funding research equipment like this,鈥� says Dr. Hoskin. 鈥淲ithout the Molly Appeal, we鈥檇 be in big trouble.鈥�
Another cancer researcher at Dal, Paola Marcato, says her work focuses on, 鈥渢rying to figure out why cancer metastasizes, because cancer is very treatable when it鈥檚 not metastatic.鈥� She has found that 鈥渙ne particular type of cancer cell, called a cancer stem cell, is harder to kill than others and only these cancer stem cells make new tumors. The thing about metastatic cells is that they have motility. Live-cell imaging can see the process of how they鈥檙e able to move and infiltrate nearby tissues.鈥�
When asked about the Molly Appeal, Dr. Marcato is enthusiastic.
鈥淭he Molly Appeal has been amazing! The RNAi [RNA-interference] library facility that the Molly Appeal funded four years ago has transformed my research completely. Having that facility here has made so much of what we do possible. This is such an amazing resource, and it鈥檚 through people working together in our region who are donating money to make this possible.鈥�
A transformative facility
Roy Duncan is a professor and researcher at AV俱乐部 Medical School whose lab is investigating cancerous prostate cells. Using live-cell imaging to observe mechanisms within cancer cells, Dr. Duncan and his team can determine markers of cancer aggression, allowing patients and health-care professionals to make more informed treatment decisions. This may result in fewer invasive surgical procedures, such as removal of the prostate gland.
Dr. Duncan spearheaded the application to the Molly Appeal for a live-cell imaging facility, which will be used by more than 20 cancer researchers at the medical school.
鈥淭his facility will constantly be in use, 24/7 and 356 days a year,鈥� he says, noting that the facility鈥檚 impact will expand beyond cancer research. 鈥淚t will be a core facility that鈥檚 accessible to any researcher who works at a cellular level.鈥�
If you would like to make a contribution to this year鈥檚 Molly Appeal campaign, donation details are available on its website: .