The Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy

Revolutionizing Cancer Care: Where Hope Meets Innovation

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​​What is immunotherapy?

Alongside traditional cancer treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, immunotherapy has emerged over the past few decades as an effective treatment strategy for many patients.

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​​Despite significant progress in treating cancer in children and adolescents over the past 50 years, innovative treatments are still needed, especially for those with rare and hard-to-treat cancers. Alongside traditional cancer treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, immunotherapy has emerged over the past few decades as an effective treatment strategy for many patients. Immunotherapy works by bolstering the body’s own immune system to combat cancer and has shown success in improving survival rates, enhancing quality of life, and extending the time to recurrence, even in patients with advanced or previously untreatable cancers.

 

There are many different types of immunotherapies under development, including targeted antibodies, immune modulators, cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, and cell therapies

 

Globally, the development of cell and immune therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers is advancing rapidly. In Calgary, teams remain dedicated to advancing this goal. The University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services are emerging as key players in this field, thanks to generous giving from Calgary’s philanthropic community and the support of the OWN.CANCER Campaign, which propelled the launch of the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy in late 2023. This purpose-built research centre of excellence is a research focus of the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute that brings together investigators from multiple sites, including the  Cumming School of Medicine, the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Together, this team drives forward translational research and the development of cell and immune therapies.

 

Thanks to recent technological advancements and significant investments in infrastructure and expert personnel, the Riddell Centre offers an unprecedented opportunity to extend the reach of cell and immune therapies to rare and difficult-to-treat cancers. Riddell Centre scientists and doctors are developing highly precise next-generation treatments to provide hope and healing to more children and adolescents. Learn more about the Riddell Centre here: 

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