LONDON, ON (July 4, 2007) - Scientists believe that your own body may just be the best defense against cancer. Ongoing research shows that immune cells have the capacity to circulate throughout the body and attack cancerous tissue - and a team of researchers from across the country, led by Jonathan Bramson of McMaster University and including three Robarts scientists at Western, will accelerate the development of promising cancer vaccines thanks to a new Cancer Immunotherapy Program. The program is being launched with $3.5 million in funding from the Terry Fox Foundation - distributed through the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC). "This immune system research has enormous potential and is one of the top cancer research projects in Canada," said Dr. Michael Wosnick, executive director of the NCIC. "We eagerly anticipate the results." In addition to developing vaccines specifically for breast cancer, the research program will conduct experiments to stimulate and enhance immune responses against tumors and will develop ever-more sophisticated imaging technologies to observe immune-stimulating agents at work. Londoners consistently show strong support for cancer research, having raised millions of dollars over the years for the Terry Fox Foundation. Last year alone, local Terry Fox Runs raised more than $270,000. "We are thrilled to know that Robarts is a recipient of a recent Terry Fox cancer research grant," said Martha McClew, Ontario Provincial Director of the Terry Fox Foundation. "Canada is such a small country, yet the work being done here is on par with, if not more advanced than, anything else in the world." The Robarts team consists of Drs. Greg Dekaban, Peta O'Connell, and Paula Foster, and other participating institutions include Toronto's University Health Network and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, McGill University, the University of Montreal, the University of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Cancer Agency. For more information contact: Anthea Rowe Robarts Research Institute 519-663-3524 arowe@robarts.ca Veronica McGuire Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University 905-525-9140, ext. 22169 vmcguir@mcmaster.ca