Since 2015, Dr. Toren has worked as a clinician-scientist in the Department of Surgery at Laval University, where his laboratory focuses on translational prostate cancer research. He completed his medical training at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, urology residency and a clinical uro-oncology fellowship at the University of Toronto. Subsequently, he completed a two-year research fellowship at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Gleave. Concurrently, he enrolled in, and recently completed a doctorate in experimental medicine in Dr. Amina Zoubeidi’s laboratory.
The influence of sex steroids on the tumor environment
Androgens and estrogens are important to prostate cancer progression and treatment resistance. Through the analysis of various sex steroids such as testosterone and estrogens, we seek to better understand the hormonal changes which occur following treatment in prostate cancer patients. Further, we seek to understand how differences in these levels between patients may be used to classify them for optimal treatments and understand resistance patterns. We use laboratory models to understand the effect of sex steroids on the local immune environment and production of cytokines regulating the survival and growth of prostate cancer.
Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers
Extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, are tiny parts of cells which may be detected in many biological fluids, including urine and blood. Using samples from prostate cancer patients, we seek to optimize isolation, enumeration, and characterization techniques. Versatile and containing a significant amount of information pertinent to cancer type and function, these tiny particles may eventually be used to monitor information about responsiveness to treatments through a simple blood test.
1401, 18e rue
G4.610
Québec, QC
Canada G1J 1Z4
Latest news
- [ULaval Nouvelles] Cancer de la prostate : des avancées du côté de la résistance aux traitements hormonaux 2022-12-05
- Une subvention d’un demi-million de dollars pour le repositionnement de médicaments 2022-10-31
- Près de 9,4 millions de subventions des IRSC pour les projets de 14 chercheurs du CRCHU 2021-08-03
- Gris, TyphaineEmployeeHôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus+1 418-525-4444, extension 20417typhaine.gris@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
1401, 18e rue
G4.635
Québec, QC
Canada G1J 1Z4 - Trépanier, GenevièveMaster studentL'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec+1 418-525-4444, extension 15160genevieve.trepanier@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
9 rue McMahon
0885 / 1875
Québec, QC
Canada G1R 3S3
The sex gap in bladder cancer survival - a missing link in bladder cancer care
Journal ArticleNat Rev Urol, 2023.
High infiltration of CD209+ dendritic cells and CD163+ macrophages in the peritumor area of prostate cancer is predictive of late adverse outcomes
Journal ArticleFront Immunol, 14 , 2023.
Effects of Concentrated Long-Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Quality of Life after Radical Prostatectomy: A Phase II Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial (RCT-EPA)
Journal ArticleNutrients, 15 (6), 2023.
Prostate cancer resistance leads to a global deregulation of translation factors and unconventional translation
Journal ArticleNAR Cancer, 4 (4), 2022.
Analysis of sex-based differences to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
Journal ArticleUrol Oncol, 40 (12), 2022.
Combining Antiandrogens with Immunotherapy for Bladder Cancer Treatment
Journal ArticleEur Urol Open Sci, 43 , 2022.
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.
Patients' perceptions on active surveillance for the treatment of small renal masses
Journal ArticleUrol Oncol, 40 (11), 2022.
Perception and satisfaction of patients after telemedicine urology consultations: A matched analysis with physicians' perspective
Journal ArticleCan Urol Assoc J, 16 (10), 2022.
Sex steroid modulation of macrophages within the prostate tumor microenvironment
Journal ArticleAm J Clin Exp Urol, 10 (2), 2022.
Active projects
- Exploiter les interactions endocriniennes-immunes pour améliorer le traitement des cancers urologiques, from 2022-07-01 to 2024-06-30
- Repurposing bicalutamide to improve the response to immune checkpoint inhibition for treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma, from 2022-08-01 to 2026-07-31
- Targeting sex steroids to improve the response to bladder cancer immunotherapy, from 2021-10-01 to 2026-09-30
Recently finished projects
- A study of macrophages as predictors of prostate cancer radiotherapy response , from 2022-01-26 to 2023-01-25
- Caractérisation des tumeurs urothéliales en utilisant les cultures ex vivo, from 2019-04-30 to 2022-01-10
- Development of next-generation biomarkers for prostate cancer treatment, from 2019-07-01 to 2021-12-31