Dr. Chantal Guillemette holds a Canada Research Chair in pharmacogenomics. She is a Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Laval University and co-director of the Cancer Research Center (CRC) at Laval University.
Dr. Guillemette is one of the leaders in the field of the pharmacogenomics of phase II enzymes, with a focus on glucuronidation by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes (UGTs). Her international leadership comes from ground breaking discoveries in precision oncology that positioned her lab at the forefront of the global research on the most important pathway for the human body’s elimination of frequently prescribed drugs, also regulating hormonal drivers of cancer. Dr. Guillemette, along with her coworkers and external collaborators, have significantly advanced several areas of drug metabolism and cancer biomarkers. She has published over 130 papers, the majority as a senior author and her students as first authors. She also offers a productive, creative and dynamic training environment (>125 high qualified personnel) supported by a strong record of trainees (>60) and future scientists while educating undergrads and health professionals in pharmacology and personalized medicine. Her work has improved our understanding of the mechanisms contributing to variations in biotransformation by UGTs, and how this affects drug response and disease. This led to knowledge translation strategies for the clinical use of genetic information on drug metabolism by UGTs. Her work has also extended to the discovery of cancer predisposing genes and more recently, to the discovery of new prognostic markers uncovered for hormone-related cancers such as prostate cancer.
Her focus is now on two objectives well integrated with clinical unmet needs in high-incidence cancers (leukemia, prostate and lung) to address the mechanisms underlying variability in anticancer drugs and steroid metabolism and how this affects patients’ responses, disease progression and patients’ survival. A first objective comprehensively investigates the molecular mechanisms that underlie variability in anticancer drugs and steroid metabolism by UGTs using complementary models that integrate research on genomics, splicing and post-translational processes using cutting-edge technologies. These findings will greatly contribute to achieve the required mechanism-based evidence to propel progress in the field and their potential clinical applications, with an impact on a larger set of prescribed drugs and broad clinical settings. A second objective aims to establish, through translational studies of patients diagnosed with high-incidence cancers, the clinical implications of variability in steroid and anticancer drug metabolism pathways. Genetic, hormonal and pharmacological markers will be tested as part of predictive tools that can identify individuals more likely to suffer adverse reactions to novel anticancer substrates of UGTs and those who are more likely to respond to therapy. We also address how variability in steroid and drug metabolism pathways can help improve prognostic signatures for recurrence and cancer patient’s survival after initial treatment. This research is reinforced by a strong and efficiently balanced collaborative network of scientists supported by the active roles of clinicians. This research has the potential to improve personalization of oncology treatment and prognostication for frequent cancers.
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4701.5
Québec, Québec
Canada G1V 4G2
- Anderson, SarahInternCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296sarah.anderson.3@ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Beaudoin, CarolineMaster studentCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296caroline.beaudoin.13@ulaval.cacaroline.beaudoin@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Caron, PatrickEmployeeCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 48691patrick.caron@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
T4-50
Québec, Québec
Canada G1V 4G2 - Dahmani, CyliaDoctoral studentCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296cylia.dahmani@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Nguyen Van Long, FloraPostdoctoral fellowCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296flora.nguyen-van-long@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Pulichino, Anne-MarieEmployeeL'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec+1 418-525-4444, extension 15061+1 418-691-5439Anne-Marie.Pulichino@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
9, rue McMahon
2765
Québec, Québec
Canada G1R 2J6 - Rivera Herrera, Ana LuciaDoctoral studentCHUL+1 418-525-4444ana-lucia.rivera-herrera@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Rouleau, MichèleEmployeeCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296 / 46462+1 418-654-2159michele.rouleau@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4701.11
Québec, Québec
Canada G1V 4G2 - Uchil, AshwiniDoctoral studentCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296ashwini.uchil@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Valcourt-Gendron, DélyaMaster studentCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296delya.valcourt-gendron@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2 - Villeneuve, LyneEmployeeCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296 / 46407lyne.villeneuve@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boulevard Laurier
R-4720
Québec, Québec
Canada G1V 4G2 - Wagner, AntoineDoctoral studentCHUL+1 418-525-4444, extension 42296antoine.wagner@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
2705, boul. Laurier
R-4720
Québec, Québec
Canada G1V 4G2
Extensive Alteration of Androgen Precursor Levels After Castration in Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Association With Active Androgen Level
Journal ArticleJ Urol, 208 (6), 2022.
Uridine Diphosphate Glucuronosyl Transferase 2B28 (UGT2B28) Promotes Tumor Progression and Is Elevated in African American Prostate Cancer Patients
Journal ArticleCells, 11 (15), 2022.
A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay for the quantification of nucleotide sugars in human plasma and urine specimens and its clinical application
Journal ArticleJ Chromatogr A, 1677 , 2022.
Sex steroid modulation of macrophages within the prostate tumor microenvironment
Journal ArticleAm J Clin Exp Urol, 10 (2), 2022.
Variability in testosterone measurement between radioimmunoassay (RIA), chemiluminescence assay (CLIA) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS) among prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)
Journal ArticleUrol Oncol, 40 (5), 2022.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels prior to prostatectomy are not related to long-term oncologic or cardiovascular outcomes for men with prostate cancer
Journal ArticleAsian J Androl, 24 (1), 2022.
Circulating Levels of Sex Steroid Hormones and Gastric Cancer
Journal ArticleArch Med Res, 52 (6), 2021.
IL15RA and SMAD3 Genetic Variants Predict Overall Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with FOLFIRI Therapy: A New Paradigm
Journal ArticleCancers (Basel), 13 (7), 2021.
KLF5 and NFYA factors as novel regulators of prostate cancer cell metabolism
Journal ArticleEndocr Relat Cancer, 28 (4), 2021.
Rationale for the combination of venetoclax and ibrutinib in T-prolymphocytic leukemia
Journal ArticleHaematologica, 106 (8), 2021.
En tant que titulaire de la Chaire de recherche du Canada en pharmacogénomique, Chantal Guillemette poursuit trois principaux objectifs à long terme. Tout d’abord, elle tente de déterminer les marqueurs génétiques qui permettent de maximiser la réponse aux médicaments tout en limitant les effets secondaires associés à certaines pharmacothérapies du cancer. Elle analyse ensuite les caractéristiques des tumeurs, ce qui lui permet de définir les processus moléculaires liés à la réponse ou à la résistance au traitement.
En second lieu, la chercheure entend identifier des biomarqueurs génétiques ou biochimiques qui permettraient de déceler rapidement le cancer et les patients qui sont les plus susceptibles d’en être atteints. Enfin, l’objectif de Mme Guillemette vise à favoriser une meilleure compréhension des fonctions et des effets des variations génomiques, ce qui pourrait permettre d’intégrer la pharmacogénomique dans les études cliniques et permettre un transfert de connaissances plus rapide en clinique afin de maximiser et de personnaliser la pharmacothérapie.
Active projects
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en pharmacogénomique, from 2020-10-01 to 2027-09-30
- Deep phenotyping of UGT human knockouts, from 2023-03-01 to 2024-02-29
- Effect of environmental contaminants and methylome of breast adipose tissue on aromatase inhibitor efficacy in breast cancer, from 2016-07-01 to 2024-09-30
- Functional pharmacogenomics of cancer : from mechanisms to personalized therapy, from 2019-07-01 to 2026-06-30
- Targeting sex steroids to improve the response to bladder cancer immunotherapy, from 2021-10-01 to 2026-09-30
- Understanding the variations in clinical presentations of endometriosis: a pan-Canadian cohort study, from 2023-03-01 to 2024-02-29
Recently finished projects
- Identifying selective glucuronidation inhibitors to overcome drug resistance in cancer, from 2020-06-01 to 2022-05-31
- Interaction between environment, diet, physical activities, and sexual habits, in the risk of prostate cancer. Validation of biomarkers to personnalize preventive interventions., from 2012-10-01 to 2021-12-31
- Recherche portant sur les hormones stéroïdiennes et sur le cancer de la prostate cliniquement localisé, from 2021-05-31 to 2022-03-31
- The Contribution of Non-Classical 11-oxy Androgens to Prostate Cancer Progression, from 2019-04-01 to 2022-03-30
- Une infrastructure IA multi-usagers clé en main pour gérer le cycle de vie complet des données en santé, from 2021-04-01 to 2023-09-01