Innovative Liver Cancer Research

Canadian Liver Foundation partners with Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation to fund $1.2 M research project. Primary liver cancer is not only one of the fastest rising but also one of the deadliest forms of cancer in Canada. Due to late diagnosis and disease severity, more than half of all liver cancer patients cannot be effectively treated with current therapies. In part this is because there are cells in the cancers that shield them from the body’s immune system. These cells are called tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs). If these cells could be targeted and destroyed, the cancers will be more vulnerable to being eliminated by the body’s immune system or by standard chemotherapy. Led by Dr. McGilvray, this multidisciplinary team will use nanotechnology to target and destroy TAMs. Nanotechnology uses tiny engineered particles (called nanoparticles) that can carry and deliver drugs. Using this technology, they hope to develop and test a new treatment option for patients diagnosed with liver cancer.