What if someone was to tell you that within five years Thunder Bay could become one of the leading centres in the world for the early diagnosis of cancer? Would you think this was highly probable or improbable? I believe this is a hard question to answer without knowing the rest of the story. However, whenever I write on something new I find it always helpful to put it in perspective first. By this I mean in context with everything else that is going on around us, be it at the local, regional, national or global level.
Let me start by saying that the best kept secret in Northern Ontario has been the outstanding progress that this region has been making in the field of research and development, especially medical research. Most people in this region already know about our world-class Northwestern Ontario Cancer Centre, and last few years for the first time Thunder Bay was put on the world map when it was associated with the Titanic and the DNA research that a local team was pursuing in identifying the remains of a couple of its victims still buried on the coast of Newfoundland.
These two exciting fields are now coming together in Thunder Bay through Genesis Genomics Inc., a cutting-edge biotechnology company originating in and operating in Thunder Bay, with strategic partners in Europe and the U.S.
The mission of the company is to develop DNA based diagnostics that are extremely sensitive to the presence of the myriad of diseases caused by alterations in the DNA, the blueprint of life. The major focus and effort of the company is directed against cancer. These diagnostics are designed to alert a physician to the presence of cancer in a patient before the onset of obvious symptoms, when the opportunity for treatment and a cure is at its best.
Why in Thunder Bay you may ask? Two simple reasons: one is the willingness of the people of this region to participate in this type of medical studies and research. Being able to draw on volunteers to test the model and develop the diagnostic tools at a reasonable cost can make the difference between success and failure in this highly advanced and competitive field.
The other one is called mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA). Let me explain. I am not a scientist, but the concept of how this works is so straightforward and simple that it was bypassed by other researchers who concentrated instead on the Holy Grail of genetic research, the nuclear DNA. The information content of nuclear DNA is vast, about the same as 50 sets of encyclopedias. In contrast, mitochondrial DNA holds the written equivalent of about 10 pages and serves as an index to the health of the nuclear DNA. Any changes to the nuclear DNA indicating the very beginning of cancer are communicated early to the mtDNA. Since there are only 10 pages, any changes to the index are easily “read,” for an exceptionally early diagnosis at the DNA level. This early detection will allow early intervention and treatment by a new generation of medications designed to eliminate cancer at the DNA level.
One such success has been the production and marketing of a two-step DNA skin test which determines ultraviolet damage to an individual’s skin. Discovery of these biomarkers for the skin physical test were identified from the work done by Genesis Genomics on skin cancer. The company has recently entered into an exclusive global agreement with an international company towards the commercialization of its research which will surely usher a new era in its global reach along with related jobs in this exciting field of the knowledge-based economy.
While its success will surely propel Thunder Bay and region to the forefront of this new science in a practical and realistic way, more importantly it will give hope and save millions of lives worldwide. This more than anything else will be the true measure of its success, and this region can return once more to its former glory of opening up new frontiers just as it did a century ago.
Frank Pullia is Principal of Pullia Accounting & Consulting and a Councillor in the City of Thunder Bay. He can be reached at 767-6579 or via e-mail at frank@frankpullia.com