Some cancers become resistant to treatments that block their ability to repair DNA damage. People whose cancers develop this resistance need new treatment options that can effectively target and kill cancer cells.
Natnael Abate will use lab techniques to study how certain proteins control the repair of damaged DNA. He aims to learn how these proteins avoid treatments meant to block them – and hopefully find new ways to target the proteins that could lead to more effective treatments.
Learning more about the proteins that control DNA damage repair could suggest ways to prevent cancer treatment resistance. It could also reveal weaknesses that can be targeted with new treatments, creating more options for people whose cancer no longer responds to existing therapies.
This award is funded in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS).