Major breakthrough leads to technology transfer
Impact of Dr Greg Matlashewkis work may help to diagnose cervical cancer
McGill University has just signed a major agreement with an Italian laboratory and a large US firm called Digene to license a remarkable discovery by McGill molecular geneticist Greg Matlashewski. Together with a team of international investigators, Matlashewski has identified a genetic marker, a p53 tumour suppressor gene, which may indicate a predisposition to cervical cancer. Matlashewskis discovery was published in Nature this past May, and the agreement with Digene, piloted by McGills Office of Technology Transfer, has been the subject of months of intense negotiation. McGill will receive royalties and other payment based on the discovery.
Cervical cancer affects 500,000 women worldwide each year and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is identified as the cause of essentially all cervical cancer. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are preventable if detected early, in the pre-cancerous stage.
According to Matlashewski, "This genetic marker, called p53Arg, could help identify women with HPV infection who might be at increased risk for cervical cancer. Digene is the leader in the field of diagnostics for HPV infection and cervical cancer, so the association between McGill and Digene is a natural one."
Digene vice-president (research) and scientific director Attila Lorincz says, "We believe the p53Arg gene will be a strong complement to our existing product range for cervical cancer screening and can make HPV testing even more effective. We intend to include tests for it in our international cervical screening trials as soon as possible."
Dr Matlashewski emphasized that further research is needed. In collaboration with Dr Eduardo Franco of McGills Oncology Department, he plans to conduct studies in Brazil, which has among the highest levels of cervical cancer in the world.
Dr Matlashewski is also working on developing a genetically engineered vaccine and new treatments for leishmania infections, which, like malaria, are transmitted by insects and cause thousands of deaths annually in the developing world, especially among children. Working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and in collaboration with McGill Tropical Medicines Dr Brian Ward, Matlashewski also hopes to initiate a clinical trial in Peru within the next year for a potential new treatment for leishmaniasis.
Recently selected by the MRC as one of the most talented researchers in Canada, Dr Matlashewski is supported by the National Cancer Institute, the Medical Research Council, the World Health Organization and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as McGill University and the Institute of Parasitology.
