Researcher studies 'molecular scissor'
Moncton native hopes theory will one day lead to new type of cancer treatment
Dr. Gilles Robichaud looks like he'd be more at home in a hockey rink than hovering over a microscope, but this self-described lab rat has spent more than 15 years on a quest to unlock the secrets of communication within the tiny cells of our bodies.
Robichaud, professor at l'Université de Moncton and associate research scientist at the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute in Moncton, is hoping his theory of a "molecular scissor" will someday lead to a new type of cancer treatment.
"There's probably a different kind of cancer for every type of cell that exists in our bodies because every cell is different. We're looking at the communication that occurs within the cell itself to study the specific responses they have to things like heat, stress or viruses," says Robichaud, a Metro Moncton native who has spent the majority of his adult life in research labs.
He graduated from Mathieu-Martin High School in 1991 and studied at l'Université de Moncton, Université Laval (Québec) and l'Université de Sherbrooke. He recently returned to Moncton to start working, proudly stating that he received his first real paycheque a year ago at the age of 33. Until now, he has been living in universities on scholarships and research grants.
His passion is the study of how cells communicate within themselves through a microscopic network of molecules one could compare to wiring inside a radio or some other type of electronic device. He says the exterior walls of a cell can react to stimuli and send signals to the interior nerve centre through a series of "wires." These same wires can relay a signal to other cells to give instructions. If these wires are cut or disrupted, the signal won't get through.
One of the basic characteristics of cancer cells is that through mutation, these cells escape our natural immune system and thus are allowed to grow.
One of the driving theories at the Atlantic Cancer Institute is finding ways to boost the natural immune system so it can recognize cancer cells and attack them before they can spread. If that secret can be unlocked, it could someday be used in treatments.
Robichaud's molecular "scissor" is actually a derivative of the Hepatitis D virus, which is naturally able to cut into cells, hijack them and use them to reproduce the virus like a parasite. Robichaud said the "scissor" or cleaving molecule has been isolated from the virus and re-engineered so that it can be used as a cutting tool. This was a breakthrough achieved at the University of Sherbrooke, and is now being used in cancer research for the first time in Moncton.
In the lab, the molecular scissor can be introduced into either healthy or cancerous cells and told which wires to cut. Each experiment cuts different wires to see what the reaction will be. Unfortunately, Robichaud says, you can't cut them all at once, you have to go one by one. It is a painstaking and time-consuming process. But he is hopeful that if they can find the right combination of wires, they can find ways to control or stop the growth of cancer cells. Some experiments have been successful, with cancerous cells dying within a few days after being exposed to the scissor.
But it is still a long way from being used as a cancer treatment or even introduced into human patients on an experimental basis. Even if it works, the big stumbling block will be a way to inject the cutter into the body near the cancer cells so it can go to work.
"We'd like to be able to use it as a therapy one day, but the delivery part -- how to get it to the cell that needs it -- is the big challenge."
But if it works, it will hopefully be more precise and far less damaging than the various radiation and chemotherapy treatments now being used on cancer patients.
After spending time out of the province, Robichaud is excited to be able to pursue his work in Moncton and be part of a bigger team working for cancer research.
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