Toronto - Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) yesterday announced the investment of $2.25 million in five promising early stage cancer technologies, including a minimally invasive treatment for tumours, a targeted delivery system for a cancer therapeutic, two new tests that will help doctors diagnose tumours earlier and a new therapeutic. The recipients will use the funds to continue the early commercial development of their discoveries.

The recipients of the awards are:

• Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Program, University Health Network, Toronto, for Dr. Michael Sherar's novel radio frequency ablation technology for treatment of solid tumours;

• Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Program, University Health Network, Toronto, for the development of novel chemical proteasome inhibitors by Dr. Aaron Schimmer;

• Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Program, University Health Network, Toronto, for Dr. Gang Zheng's nanoparticles for targeted delivery of siRNA-based cancer therapeutics;

• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, for the development of Glypican-3 as a novel marker for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma by Dr. Jorge Filmus;

• University of Toronto, for Drs. Shana Kelley and Ted Sargent's GenEplex platform for detection of cancer biomarkers.

"The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is turning Ontario's world-class cancer research into better prevention, improved patient care, new technologies and more effective therapies for people," said Minister of Research and Innovation, John Wilkinson. "Our government is proud to be supporting leading scientists whose work in Ontario means a more vibrant research community, a stronger economy, and better lives for people here at home and around the world."

OICR will actively participate in efforts to commercialize the selected projects by providing additional expertise and resources and working collaboratively with the recipients and their scientists.

"It is important that promising cancer research projects receive the funding they need to successfully move out of the lab and into the clinic," said Dr. Hudson. "We are happy to assist these researchers in developing these technologies further and eventually create new treatments to help people living with cancer."

The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is an new research institute, moving Ontario to the forefront of discovery and innovation. It is dedicated to research in prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. OICR is a not-for-profit corporation funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Research and Innovation.