Research to understand the management of cancer patients
Dr Lebrun is a full Professor of Medicine and Cancer Biologist at the McGill University Health Center. His research aims at understanding the mechanisms underlying cancer initiation, metastasis, stemness and drug resistance, all of which considered as major challenges in the management of cancer patients. The long-term goal being to advance and accelerate the translation of basic laboratory discoveries into new cancer therapeutics. To reach these objectives, his team has developed central lines of research using cellular systems (in vitro), patient-derived organoids (ex-vivo), cell line-derived (CDX) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) preclinical models (in vivo) as well as bioinformatics and data mining analysis for large cohorts of human patient datasets (in silico). Dr. Lebrun expertise in cancer research and international recognition by his peers are probably best reflected by his publication track record (over 100 peer reviewed papers in top-level scientific journals), high-level funding from governmental agencies, such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, presentations worldwide, awards, media interviews and press releases.
Research emanating from the Lebrun lab led to several seminal discoveries and the identification of key genes and signaling pathways driving carcinogenesis, metastasis and cancer stem cell biology. This resulted in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs, patents and potential novel targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer patients. Using state of the art technologies, CRISPR gene editing and genome-wide molecular approaches, the Lebrun lab developed a cutting edge “Crisperized Medicine” for precision oncology program to achieve rationalized and personalized management of cancer patients. A personalized medicine program it splits under different basic-to translational-to-basic pipelines, ranging from uncovering cancer vulnerabilities to identifying synthetic lethality genes and drug resistance mechanisms, to provide cancer patients with the best, time- and cost-efficient therapeutic options. Using this genome-wide in vivo CRISPR screening platform, the Lebrun lab also identified cancer stemness regulators in chemotherapy drug resistance, and more recently, identified TGFβ3 as an actionable biomarker of palbociclib resistance in breast cancer.
