海角社区

Magazine鈥檚 readers voted cancer breakthrough as Quebec鈥檚 鈥淒iscovery of the Year鈥�

A breast cancer breakthrough made by 海角社区 Cancer Centre Director Michel Tremblay and his team was named Quebec鈥檚 top discovery of 2007 in the 鈥淭en Discoveries of the Year鈥� award compiled by Qu茅bec Science, as voted on by the magazine鈥檚 readers.

On Tuesday, June 10, Pascale Millot, associate editor-in-chief of Qu茅bec Science, will present a plaque commemorating the award to Dr. Tremblay at a ceremony to be held at 海角社区 University鈥檚 Holmes Hall. Ms. Millot will be accompanied by Professor Denis Th茅rien, Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations) and Dr. Richard I. Levin, Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

What: Qu茅bec Science 鈥淒iscovery of the Year 2007鈥� awards ceremony

When: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 12:30 鈥� 2:30 p.m.

Where: Holmes Hall
3605 de la Montagne (corner of Docteur Penfield)
Montreal, Quebec H3G 2M1

Admission: This event is open to the media, but not the general public.

BACKGROUND

Dr. Michel L. Tremblay, his colleague Sofi Julien and their Cancer Centre colleagues carried out fundamental cancer research which uncovered the role played by a gene associated with the propagation of breast cancer in two out of five affected women. The researchers discovered that halting the activity of this gene in mice predisposed to cancer significantly slowed the growth of 鈥� and in some cases, prevented 鈥� tumours. Several years earlier, Tremblay and his colleagues linked the same gene to obesity and diabetes.

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM QU脡BEC SCIENCE READERS:

I think this is a very important discovery which will save live. It鈥檚 important to study neurons and things, but it鈥檚 something else again to understand the genes responsible for a disease as serious as cancer, which destroys millions of lives every year. Bravo for this magnificent discovery and please carry on!

- Nicolas Rioux, Baie-Comeau

If ONE pharmaceutical could cure breast cancer and diabetes and help control the obesity problem, it would be a miracle! Thank you, Dr. Tremblay for focusing on this gene.

- Martine Bertrand, Montr茅al

Diabetes and breast cancer each claim many lives in Canada. We can鈥檛 be apathetic about this, we鈥檝e got to take action, because now we have a chance, thanks to Michel L. Tremblay to save lives. Let鈥檚 all support scientific research!

- Eric Archambault, Joliette