IRIC - Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer

Trang Hoang is the recipient of the 2021 CSMB Jeanne Manery Fisher Award

Trang Hoang, Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) and Full Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal is the recipient of the 2021 Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences (CSMB) Jeanne Manery Fisher Award.

Les Rendez-vous Audace 2021: $320,000 raised to support IRIC’s cancer research efforts

Exceptionally this year, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal presented a virtual formula of its traditional Audacious fundraising event: Les Rendez-vous Audace. For the occasion, approximately 615 people from 8 countries attended the three free conferences and close to 20 sponsors supported the event. Thanks to the generosity of our partners and donors, a total of $320,000 was raised to accelerate the discovery of better therapies for the benefit of patients.

GPCRs In Oncology & Immuno-oncology

June 4, 2021

GPCRs represent the largest human membrane protein family and play a critical role in essential physiological and pathological processes.

With roughly a third of marketed drugs targeting GPCRs, the druggability of this family of receptors is unmatched. But despite this, their implication and drug discovery potential in oncology and immuno-oncology is relatively new.

Chaired by IRIC CEO Michel Bouvier, this virtual symposium will showcase some of the latest discoveries and techniques leveraging the potential of GPCRs in these crucial fields.

Leading experts will share findings from world-class academic and private research on GPCRs in oncology and Immuno-oncology.

And as well as taking part in live Q&As after each presentation, you will have the chance to discuss topics and network with speakers near the end of the symposium.

Lecture by Dr. Roger D. Kornberg – Nobel Prize in Chemistry

On May 20th, IRIC and the Université de Montréal will have the honour of welcoming Dr. Roger D. Kornberg, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006.  He will present a lecture titled “Chromosome Structure and Transcription”.

Genome-wide screens identify a novel gene that tapers the DNA damage response in human cells with eroded telomeres

Telomeres are DNA sequences that serve as critical caps to protect the ends of chromosomes against degradation, fraying, and fusion with other chromosomes. They play an important role in maintaining genome integrity but in most cells in our body, telomeres become shorter with each cell division as the activity of the telomere maintenance enzyme (TERT) is repressed. After sufficient telomere shortening, the protective telomere structure is lost, activating the tumor-suppressor gene p53 and the DNA damage response. This leads to a non-proliferative state in normal cells called senescence, or to cell death in cancer cells. These inhibitory effects upon cell proliferation are thought to be an important mechanism to prevent the proliferation of damaged cells and the formation of tumors.

A pathogenic yeast has many tricks up its sleeve

Infections with the yeast Candida albicans are a significant public health problem and a common complication in immunocompromised individuals such as people with AIDS, chemotherapy patients, and organ transplant patients. Although there are some treatments, their effectiveness can be compromised by the emergence of resistant strains and the identification of new antifungals is highly desirable. A few years ago, an IRIC team identified nicotinamide (NAM), a form of vitamin B3, as a potential antifungal treatment.

Talk from Guy Sauvageau at the CCMM

Leveraging innovation and collaboration to accelerate scientific discoveries in oncology

Spatiotemporal coordination: a key aspect allowing cells to divide correctly

Enzymes that regulate cell division must be subjected to spatiotemporal control, allowing them to access the cellular structures they control only at the appropriate time. The segregation of chromosomes during mitosis is the most crucial event of cell division. Spatiotemporal coordination is therefore fundamental to the good progress of mitosis but it remains poorly understood.

TMEM16F: a protein with a key role in the regulation of T cell activity

By Fatéma Dodat

Understanding the regulation of T cell activity is crucial for the development of immunity against infections, but also in cancer. A study conducted by the team of Etienne Gagnon reveals that TMEM16F, a molecule that promotes the exchange of components between the lipid bilayer of a cell membrane, is involved in this activation.

One step closer to developing a cancer vaccine

Claude Perreault and his team published an important article related to the development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine for a type of blood cancer.

A new way beckons to treat severe obesity

By Mathieu-Robert Sauvé, UdeM Nouvelles

Michel Bouvier, unveils research that could someday lead to treatment for early morbid familial obesity.

Michel Bouvier, CEO of IRIC, takes part in the Pan-Canadian Showcase on the future of drug discovery and production in Canada

The Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal is proud to announce that Michel Bouvier, CEO of the Institute and recent recipient of the Killam Prize in Health Sciences, is taking part in the virtual event “Building Biotech: Science and Talent Accelerating Biomedical Innovation, a Pan-Canadian Showcase and Dialogue”.The Showcase is being held today, February 17, 2021, and is organized by PRiME at the University of Toronto.