UNBC Researchers Make Cancer Discoveries

Monday, February 05, 2007 04:25 PM

Biochemistry Professor, Dr. Chow Lee (in blue sweater), and his students

UNBC is the smallest university in Canada to conduct research supported by the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the rewards are being realized...

A biochemistry research team at the university has made three findings related to their research on cancer. Those results appear in an article out today in the journal, "Nucleic Acids Research", published by Oxford University Press.

The team's findings focus on two naturally occurring proteins that contribute to the rapid growth of cancer cells and their resistance to treatments such as chemotherapy. Dr. Chow Lee and his students have been the first to identify an enzyme that can destroy the carriers (mRNAs) of the genetic code for these proteins, but they've also discovered another protein that prevents the enzyme from destroying them.

Dr. Lee says future research will look more closely at this enzyme and the protein that can apparently block it. "These discoveries won't lead to a quick cure - that's many years away, at best," but, he says, "It's truly remarkable that this kind of research is even conducted in Prince George, at a small university."

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Posted on Monday, February 05, 2007 04:25 PM in Health by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: owl on February 5 2007 6:45 PM

The Apple computer and associated operating system was neither the prodcut of a large university nor large corporation. It was a product of a small group of people with few funds and lots of know how and dedication.

The same with microsoft and a myriad of other computer related inventions or discoveries.

Small can be very beautiful and function quite successfully. I am not sure where the surprise is.

I assume if Dr. Lee had not believed it could be done here, he would never have started the project. Good for him for believing in himslef, his students and UNBC!

Hopefully his program will not be one of the ones affected by the cutbacks because traditionalists might believe small universities ought not do such research.

Posted by: Palopu on February 5 2007 8:28 PM

They sure like to play the **Small** University card, even though we all know that if they could ever get a huge increase in enrolments they would **Morph** into a **Large** University in a New York minute.

One of the reasons for the **cuts** is because of the **small** class size at this University, however perverse as it seems **small** class size, and lots of books in a library gets you points in Macleans University ratings, however **small** class sizes eventually gets you **broke**.

Posted by: Marty on February 7 2007 9:21 AM

Its funny when I drive around the University here in PG, it apears rather large.
And forever growing with FANCY new ( read over priced) buildings popping up constantly it seems.
The university alone has more people than the population of many communities surrounding PG....so why is it considered small still.
IMO its pretty frigging BIG !

Posted by: Palopu on February 7 2007 11:17 AM

Its small in comparison to other Universitys, especially UBC or Simon Fraser, and small in terms of Students.

2006 Graduate and Undergraduate Numbers Full and Part Time
UBC 43,538
SFU 23,646
UVIC 18,841
UNBC 3,561

UNBC would have 3,561 Full and Part Time Students, plus approx 700 Faculty and Staff, for a total of 4261 people at any one time. The majority of these are Part Time Students. So it may look big but it isnt.

Posted by: Marty on February 7 2007 11:37 AM

4000 plus people at one place to me still seems BIG!
Guess i am just a small town boy at heart.
If i had 700 employees I would consider my business BIG .

Posted by: Palopu on February 7 2007 9:22 PM

Marty. If you do the numbers ie: divide 3561 by 700 and you get 6 students for every employee. If you tried that with you business you would not be BIG, you would be BROKE.