February 6, 2020 – FACIT congratulates its strategic partner, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), on its leading role in completing an unprecedented, multi-institutional study of whole cancer genomes, spanning 10 years. The Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Project (the “Pan-Cancer Project”) analyzed more than 2,600 genomes of 38 different tumour types through a collaboration involving more than 1,300 scientists and clinicians from 37 countries. The output from this global study vastly improves the fundamental understanding of cancer and will provide guidance and new directions for its diagnosis and treatment.

A comprehensive resource for cancer genomics research, including the raw genome sequencing data, software for cancer genome analysis, and multiple interactive websites, has been made available to the global scientific community. By extending and advancing methods to analyze cancer genomes, multiple new discoveries have been realized about causes of previously unexplained cancers and mechanisms of development. Major findings were published yesterday in 23 coordinated papers in Nature and its affiliated journals.

This new wealth of knowledge will enable cancer researchers to develop new tools and therapies to detect cancer earlier, develop more targeted therapies, and treat patients more successfully. With OICR’s remarkable expertise and capacity in data infrastructure and informatics, FACIT is driven to continue working with its strategic partner to leverage this knowledge into new innovations, spurring the continued growth of the province’s biotech ecosystem, and ultimately impacting patients living with cancer.

Read OICR’s news release here.

Contact:

Connie Chen, PhD | Senior Director, Strategy & Corporate Development, FACIT

connie.chen@facit.ca