Provincial Director, Research, CancerCare Manitoba
Director of Translational Research, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, Manitoba Research Chair
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba

1997 PhD, University of Toronto

Normally within a cell there is a balance occurring between undergoing cell death and surviving. Cells in an appropriate environment, with no stress, and/or undamaged will survive. Cells taken out of their appropriate environment, under stressful conditions, and/or damaged will undergo cell death (apoptosis). In cancer, this balance is altered where cell survival responses are increased preventing a cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Understanding the decision mechanisms within cells that decide to induced apoptosis or survive will provide insight into why cancer cells survive and lead to molecular targets for cancer treatment. My research can be subdivided into two areas cell death and cell survival.

Meghan Azad Graduate Student
Evan Booy Graduate Student
Yu Yoon Yoon Graduate Student
Sara Beiggi Graduate Student
Lin Li Post-doctoral fellow
Ganchimeg Ishorj Post-doctoral fellow
Taralee Burton Post-doctoral fellow

Chen Y., McMillian Ward E., Kong, J., Isreals S. J. and Gibson S. B. 2008 Oxidative stress induces autophagy and contributes to cell death independent of apoptosis in cancer and transformed cells. Cell Death and Differ. 15:171-82

Henson, E. S., Johnston, J. B., and Gibson S. B. 2008 The role of TRAIL and its death receptors in the treatment of hematological malignancies. Leukemia and Lymphoma 49:27-36

Azad M. B., Chen Y., Henson E. S., McMillian Ward E., Israels S. J., and Gibson S. B. 2008 Hypoxia induces autophagic cell death in apoptosis-competent cancer cells. Autophagy 4:195-204

Chen, Y., Gibson, S. B. 2008 Mitochondria generation of reactive oxygen species is a trigger for autophagy? Autophagy 4:246-8

Klinosky D., et al 2008 Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy in higher eukaryotes. Autophagy 4:151-75

Hu X., Sun, J., Johnston J.B. and Gibson S.B. 2008 Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) induces the expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) leading to cell survival in hematopoietic malignancies. Cellular Signaling 20:1198-208.

Mendoza, F. J, Ishdorj, G., Hu, X., and Gibson, S. B. 2008 Death receptor-4 (DR4) expression is regulated by transcription factor NF-B in response to etoposide treatment. Apoptosis 13:759-70

Ishdorj, G., Graham, B., Hu, X., Johnston, J. B., Chen, J., Fang, X., and Gibson, S. B. 2008 Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) protects cancer cells from HDAC inhibitor induced apoptosis mediated by histone deacetylase (HDAC) activation. J. Biol. Chem. 283:16818-29

Ghavami S., Asoodeh A., Klonisch T., Halayko A. J., Gibson, S. B., Booy E., Nadri-Manesh H., and Los M. 2008 Brevinin-2R semi-selectively kills cancer cells by a distinct mechanism which involves the lysosomal-mitochondrial death pathway. J. Cell. Mol. Med. 12:1005-22

Azad, M. B., Chen, Y and Gibson S.B. 2008 Regulation of autophagy by reactive oxygen species (ROS): implications for cancer progression and treatment. Antioxidant and Redox Signaling Oct 1. [Epub ahead of print]

Amrein L., Hernandez, T., Ferrario, C., Johnston, J., Gibson, S.B., Panasci L, and Aloyz R. 2008 Dasatinib sensitizes primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes to chlorambucil and fludarabine in vitro Br. J. Heamatology 143:698-706.

Burton, T, Eisenstat, D. D. and Gibson S.B. 2009 Bcl-2 Nineteen kilodalton Interacting Protein (BNIP3) acts as transcriptional repressor of Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF) expression preventing cell death in human malignant gliomas. J. Neuroscience 29:4189-99.

Burton, T. and Gibson, S. B. 2009 The role of Bcl-2 family member BNIP3 in cell death and disease: NIPping at the heels of cell death. Cell Death and Differentiation 16:515-23.

Begleiter, A., Hewitt, D., Gibson S.B., and Johnston J.B. 2009 An NQO1 polymorphism as a risk and prognostic factor for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia Research 33(1):74-81

Chen, Y, Azad, M and Gibson, SB 2009 Superoxide is the major reactive oxygen species regulating autophagy. Cell Death and Differentiation 16:1040-52

Seftel, M.D.,Demers, AA, Banerji, V., Gibson, SB, Musto, G., Pitz, , MW, and Johnston, JB 2009 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL) Diagnosed by Immunophenotyping: Population Based Incidence and Outcome. Leukemia Research 33:1463-8

Chinnadurai, G. and Gibson S.B. 2008 BNIP3 subfamily BH3-only proteins - mitochondrial stress sensors in normal and pathological functions. Oncogene S1:S114-S127.

Eisenstat DD and Gibson SB 2009 RIGging functional outcomes in glioma cells: New insights into LRIG proteins in malignant gliomas Cancer Biol Ther. 2009 11:1024-6

Amerin, L, Panasci, L., Gibson S.B., Johnston, J.B., Soulieres D., and Aloyz A. 2009 Primary del 17 chronic lymphocytic leukeamia lymphocytes are hypersensitive to dasatinib in vitro. Br. J. Heamol. 147:396-8