Canadian cancer stem cell Dream Team announced

A headline in today's Globe and Mail: "Canadian ‘dream team’ to probe stem-cell link to brain cancer". The article, by Ivan Semeniuk (@ivansemeniuk), is available online here.

SU2C Canada Cancer Stem Cell Dream Team Research Funding

Description (see: http://www.aacrcanada.ca/pages/stemcell.aspx)

The Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Canada Cancer Stem Cell Dream Team Research Funding represents a new, focused effort to implement advances in Cancer Stem Cell research as rapidly as possible through the creation of a collaborative, translational cancer research "Dream Team." The most talented and promising researchers across Canadian institutions will be assembled into a pan-Canadian Dream Team, forming an optimal configuration of expertise needed to solve key problems in Cancer Stem Cells and positively impact patients in the near future. This Dream Team will span multiple disciplines and utilize the new tools of modern biology, with an emphasis on genomics, to attack research questions in a coordinated way. The Dream Team will have mechanisms for sharing of resources and platforms (knowledge, talent, tools, technologies, etc.) across the Team including existing platforms and resources as well as those to be developed, incorporating new methods and technologies into the research groups, and training and networking across the Dream Team. Mechanisms to foster collaborations within and among the Dream Teams will be employed, an approach that promotes the sharing of information and a goal-oriented focus on measurable milestones of progress.

There are currently $10.6 million CAD available for this SU2C Canada Cancer Stem Cell Dream Team, with funds from the CSCC (through Genome Canada and CIHR) and SU2C Canada. The SU2C Canada Cancer Stem Cell Dream Team will be funded for a four-year term.

In addition to the funds available from the CSCC (through Genome Canada and CIHR) and SU2C Canada, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) has made available up to $3 million of supplemental funds to support clinical trial activities should the successful proposal include clinical trial activities within the province of Ontario (please see "SU2C Canada-OICR Cancer Clinical Trials: Canadian Dream Team Supplementary Funding" document which can be downloaded from proposalCENTRAL). It should be noted that clinical trial activities in any region of the country can be supported by the $10.6 million available from Genome Canada, CIHR, and SU2C Canada. Continued efforts to partner and collaborate with other organizations to support the objectives of the SU2C Canada Cancer Stem Cell Dream Team are ongoing. As other partnerships are confirmed the relevant information will be communicated to potential applicants. Applicants are also encouraged to explore potential partnering and collaboration opportunities.

The SU2C website is at: http://www.standup2cancer.org/

SU2C on Twitter is at: https://twitter.com/SU2C

Stand Up To Cancer Canada Dream Teams

This tweet was posted today:

Exciting news: #CanadaDreamTeams! Thx @CBCF_ @cibc #CSCC @GenomeCanada @CIHR_IRSC @OICR_news http://t.co/FNsluN1xmo @su2c_ca #cancerSC

— Jim Till (@jimtill) October 14, 2014

The link embedded in the tweet takes one to a press release entitled: "SU2C Canada Announces Up To $22.6 Million CAD Available for Stand Up To Cancer Canada Dream Teams". Two excerpts:

Two Dream Team funding opportunities are available, one for translational research focused on breast cancer and the other on cancer stem cells:

.......

The Stand Up To Cancer Canada Cancer Stem Cell Dream Team will provide approximately $10.6 million CAD over a four-year term, with funds from the CSCC (through Genome Canada and CIHR) and SU2C Canada. The Call for Ideas seeks to support a single, integrated, and cohesive pan-Canadian team bringing together key stakeholders – researchers, clinicians, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and funders – with the goal of improving the outcomes of hard-to-treat cancers by focusing on the role of cancer stem cells and stem cell programs on resistance and treatment failure in cancer. The team will employ new tools of modern biology, with an emphasis on genomics.

• Additionally, the two qualifying Dream Teams may each receive supplementary funds up to $3 million over four years from OICR, to support clinical trial activities in the province of Ontario.

International team submits IND application

On 18 June 2013, there was an announcement at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto. There was also a post on the California stem cell agency blog entitled: Clinical trial to thwart cancer stem cells may begin soon. An excerpt from the post:

The Prince Margaret Center announced the FDA filing, called an Investigational New Drug application (IND), at an event in Toronto recognizing the private donors. A press release about the announcement was picked up at this biotech news site.

The Principal Investigators present for the announcement were Dr. Tak Mak of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Dr. Dennis Slamon of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). What they have done is summarized in another excerpt from the blog post:

By working first to understand the various proteins that drive cells to divide, particularly in cancer, they were able to pinpoint an enzyme, that if blocked, could be the key to keeping cancer in check. They then discovered that this enzyme, called PLK4, can be derailed by a new drug they developed. In the lab, it has been shown to inhibit the growth of breast, ovarian, colorectal, lung, pancreatic and prostate cancer, as well as melanoma.

Information about the human PLK4 protein is available here.

Some background: In June 2008, it was announced that a partnership had been formed between Canada’s Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for international collaboration to advance cancer stem cell research. An excerpt from the CSCC's announcement:

It is proposed that one of the first initiatives to be launched by the CSCC will be a collaboration between Canadian and Californian scientists through CIRM's upcoming Disease Team Research Awards Competition, which will support multi-disciplinary teams of scientists in pursuit of therapies for specific diseases.The goal is to fund teams that will develop therapy or diagnostics for a particular disease or serious injury.Successful proposals will likely include a description of a path to an Investigational New Drug filing at the end of the four-to-five year grant.

Note the intent to file an IND by the end of the term of the grant.

The results of the Disease Team Research Awards Competition were announced on October 28, 2009. The award to Drs. Slamon and Mak is Grant number DR1-01477. See: Therapeutic Opportunities to Target Tumor Initiating Cells in Solid Tumors. As was stated in a page about Cancer Stem Cells on the website of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), this award was to one of two multi-disciplinary research teams co-led by Canadian and Californian scientists. The other team is co-led by Dr. John Dick of the University Health Network and Dr. Dennis Carson of the University of California, San Diego. My blog post (October 29, 2009) about the awards is entitled: Disease Team awards announced. The post ends with this Disclosure:

I'm a member of the Board of the CSCC, but also a staff member (emeritus) at the University Health Network. So, I was in conflict of interest, and was absent during all of the discussions, by the CSCC Board, about which Canadian applications should be considered for the Disease Team awards.

More about Funding for Personalized Medicine Research

A post entitled Funding for Personalized Medicine Research, dated January 31, 2012, provided information about the participation of the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) in the Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition of Genome Canada, in collaboration with the first phase of the Personalized Medicine Signature Initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

On March 26, 2013, it was announced that 17 projects will be supported. A list of these project is available (PDF). One of the 17 projects is entitled "Innovative chemogenomic tools to improve outcome in acute myeloid leukemia". The Project leader is Guy Sauvageau of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Université de Montréal. The Project co-leader is Josée Hébert of the Centre de Recherche Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal. One of the aims of this project is to develop new models for tracking cancer stem cells that are left behind after a patient is treated.

Funding for Personalized Medicine Research

The Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) is a partner in the 2012 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition of Genome Canada, in collaboration with the first phase of the Personalized Medicine Signature Initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Genome Canada is leading the research competition. An excerpt from Fact Sheet: The Potential of Personalized Medicine:

Funding of $67.5M will come from Genome Canada ($40 million), CIHR ($22.5 million) and the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium ($5 million). Projects will be funded for a maximum of four years. To qualify for funding, researchers must obtain matching funding that at is least equal to that provided through the competition, which will bring the total investment in this research area to close to $140 million. Matching funding is typically derived from provincial, academic, private sector or international sources.

Details about the competition are available here.

Press releases, dated January 31, 2012, about the federal government's support for personalized medicine, are available here and here.

About the California-Canada relationship

San Diego's strong ties to Canada, by Sean Barr and Catriona Jamieson, SignOnSanDiego.com, Union-Tribune Publishing Co., March 19, 2009.

About: "San Diego's strong trade and biotech ties to Canada". Excerpts:

The California-Canada relationship makes sense on many levels. California and Canada have similar-sized populations and economies, and both economies are based on high-tech and innovation. Canada and California share $39 billion in bilateral trade, which supports more than 800,000 California jobs. California is Canada's second-largest market, and the total exports of goods from California to Canada are larger than those from Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy combined. ...

.....

The Canadian Consulate has helped foster these growing relationships. Hundreds of Canadian senior executives, research pioneers and government officials have come to San Diego to work with local business and research communities. The Canadian Consulate has organized a number of initiatives designed to facilitate bi-directional science and technology exchanges between San Diego and Canada. One of the newest and most comprehensive programs is the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership, a program established to oversee and foster collaborations in areas ranging from health care to cancer stem cells to computer networks to environmental change. Last June at the BIO2008 International Convention in San Diego, Canada dedicated $110 million toward a Canada-California Strategic Partnership in Cancer Stem Cells. This collaboration brings together Canada's leading stem cell researchers with those from California, including Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Burnham Institute.

More on first CCSIP Call for Proposals

The First CCSIP Call for Proposals was blogged on January 6, 2009.

A link to LOI Instructions has now been added to the Programs and Activities page of the website of the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP). The PDF that's provided is entitled: Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP): Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission Instructions. Excerpt:

Letters of Intent must be submitted by Friday, February 27, 2009 before 2 p.m. Pacific Time/ 5 p.m. Eastern Time. We encourage early submission of LOIs. Please note: LOIs will not be accepted after the deadline.

First CCSIP Call for Proposals

The Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP) has announced, in its News and Publications section, its first Call for Proposals (CFP) for Collaborative Initiatives Between California and Canada [16-page PDF], dated December 23, 2008. A Promotional Summary [3-page PDF] and FAQ Document [5-page PDF] are also available. The 16-page CFP is also available via the websites of ISTPCanada and the University of California Office of the President. An excerpt from the FAQ:

2. What types of proposals are requested under this CFP?

CCSIP is hosting a university-led Call for Proposals for Collaborative Initiatives between Canada and California. The objective of this CFP is to stimulate novel ideas, and catalyze the development of innovative multi–campus and multi–disciplinary research and educational collaborations between the two jurisdictions.

Under this CCSIP CFP, financial support is available for two types of bilateral initiatives, including the:

• Conduct of focused bilateral round tables, workshops and/or symposia that lead to novel methods or approaches for collaborative research. These proposals should request $15,000 to $50,000 in total funding².

[Footnote 2: Includes funds from both Canadian and Californian sponsors]

• Development and delivery of a detailed R&D business plans for early-stage bilateral initiatives that help to propel the concept to the next stage of development (following the conduct of workshops and associated research). These proposals should request about $100,000 in total funding.

Excerpts from the Promotional Summary:

Eligibility:

Each proposal must include a Principal Investigator (PI) from a participating Canadian university¹, and a PI from the University of California system.

[Footnote 1: A current list of participating Canadian universities may be found in Appendix A of the CFP document]

[Some paragraphs omitted, including a section on Type of Proposals Requested]

Focus of Proposals:

Bilateral university research teams are encouraged to put forward short proposals for collaborative initiatives that aim to address key priorities shared by California and Canada, capitalize on the complementary strengths of both jurisdictions and emphasize delivery to the market place.

[Some paragraphs omitted, including sections on Selection Criteria, Specifications for Letters of Intent and Complete Proposals, and Evaluation Process]

Deadlines:

• Letters of Intent: February 27, 2009; 2PM PST, UCOP and ISTPCanada will announce all selected Letters on March 16, 2009
• Requested Proposals: May 1, 2009, 2PM PST
• Funding Decisions: The CCSIP Steering Committee, together with UCOP and ISTPCanada, expect to announce funding for all successful bilateral initiatives by July 1, 2009

[Some additional paragraphs omitted, including sections on How to Apply and Additional Information]

Note that, in the Areas of Focus section of the CCSIP website, the first topic listed under Specific RD&D Project Areas is: Cancer Stem Cells.

A relevant previous post is: News release from CCISP, December 13, 2008.

Thanks to Cindy Bell for information about the first CCSIP Call for Proposals.

News release from CCISP

News from the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP): The Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP) Launches First Call for Proposals with ISTPCanada and the University of California, December 10, 2008 [PDF]. Excerpt:

The CFP will be managed by International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada Inc. (ISTPCanada) and the University of California Office of the President (UCOP). It will invite innovators from academia, industry and government to propose bilateral approaches that build on Canada-California complementary strengths, address common challenges and recommend novel solutions with strong commercialization potential in areas such as: Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Green IT, Infectious Diseases, Next-Generation Digital Media and Sustainable Biofuels.

The CCSIP Steering Committee will select the winning proposals by spring 2009. The Committee aims to recommend funding for a minimum of six strategic round tables, workshops or other activities that enable the development of bilateral proposals; and six detailed business plans that could be presented to potential investors. As per previous CCSIP-stimulated initiatives, the outcomes of these projects are expected to attract investment from public and private funders. For example, the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, a concept initially proposed at the inaugural CCSIP Summit in January 2006, garnered a $100 million commitment from Canada earlier this year.

Comment: Note that the CSCC is mentioned in the second of the paragraphs excerpted above (but not the first). Might this call for proposals (CFP) by the CCSIP include consideration of CSCC-related "bilateral approaches" that "build on Canada-California complementary strengths, address common challenges and recommend novel solutions with strong commercialization potential"? Please stay tuned.