MSFHR Distinguished Scholar Michael Chandler is researching individual and cultural factors that could help reduce the high rate of suicide among youth in certain First Nations communities. His research is directed at understanding the ways cultural differences help or hinder young people’s ability to insulate themselves from risks of self-injury and suicide. With Dr. Chandler as his supervisor, Jesse Phillips is building on the focus of this research by examining how Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth view the relationship between their health and well-being, and the health and well-being of their community and culture as a whole. Jesse is exploring the notion that Aboriginal youth understand their health and well-being in ways that are more rooted in community life and cultural tradition than is ordinarily the case for non-Aboriginal youth. Achieving a better appreciation of such cultural difference could work to ensure that the health concerns and ability of First Nations youth are more adequately met by means sensitive to their cultural diversity.
Research Location: University of British Columbia - Point Grey
Coping in serodiscordant couples: the role of HIV-negative partners' coping strategies in health outcomes of their HIV-positive partners
Effective anti-retroviral drug regimes are helping people with HIV live healthy for longer periods of time. As a result, people with HIV are increasingly able to enter long-term relationships, a development which has implications for the course of their disease. For example, there is research indicating that people with HIV have a higher risk of their disease progressing when they perceive negative support from family or friends. Eli Puterman is examining coping methods in relationships involving an HIV-negative person with a HIV-positive partner. He is studying how these couples cope with both HIV disease and the interpersonal problems that emerge from the illness. Eli hopes to reveal insights about how the interaction of coping methods affects the mental and physical health of people with HIV. The research will help identify coping strategies that either buffer the effects of HIV disease or contribute to increased suffering. The study could also help improve mental health treatments for couples coping with chronic illnesses in general.
Immunomodulation using the modified transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP)
The immune system constantly monitors all cells in the body to identify and eliminate any cell that becomes infected or cancerous. A key component of the immune system is a transporter called TAP, which resides inside the cell on the membrane of a compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Normally, TAP imports protein fragments called peptides into the ER, after which they are displayed on the cell surface and examined by immune system cells. If the immune system recognizes peptides derived from a virus or tumour, the cell is destroyed. In many cancer cells, TAP is present in very low levels, so viral or tumour peptides do not get into the ER for identification. As a result, the T cells that recognize and kill aberrant cells are not activated and diseased cells continue to grow. At the opposite end of the immunity spectrum, T cells may identify cells from a donor organ as being foreign to the host’s body and kill these cells, resulting in transplant rejection. Robyn Seipp is investigating whether different forms of TAP can be used to improve the immune system’s ability to recognize and respond appropriately to both tumour cells and donor cells from a transplanted organ. The results may be used to improve cancer treatments and reduce transplant rejection.
The importance of visual speech information in the recognition of one's native language
Infants are inundated with visual and auditory information that is critical to their development of communication. One important communication skill that infants learn is the ability to discriminate between their native language and an unfamiliar language. Whitney Weikum is studying whether infants can develop the ability to discern people speaking in the infants’ native language, versus other languages, based solely on visual information. The research involves conducting imaging studies that will determine the neural processes responsible for analyzing visual information. Results from the study could help create definitive tests for patterns of normal communication development. Such tests could lead to early identification and treatment of infants with disorders such as Autism.
Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 on islet transplantation
More than two million Canadians and 135 million people worldwide have diabetes, a chronic medical condition characterized by a lack of insulin to regulate blood sugar levels (Type 1), or insensitivity to insulin (Type 2). Transplanting islets, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, can cure Type 1 diabetes. But use of this therapy is limited because of the huge volume of islet tissue required to treat all Type 1 diabetics. As a result, most continue to rely on insulin injections to help control blood glucose. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is produced in the intestine and has numerous anti-diabetic effects. Clinical trials are currently investigating GLP-1 as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Other recent studies show GLP-1 also enhances the growth of islet tissue. Rhonda Wideman is investigating the effects of GLP-1 on the growth and survival of transplanted islets to determine if GLP-1 reduces the amount of islets needed to cure Type 1 diabetes in transplant recipients. If so, more islet tissue could be produced and more patients could be treated with this procedure.
Development of a non-viral DNA cancer vaccine by combining liposome-mediated gene and immunostimulatory oligonucleotide delivery technologies
Vaccines offer a promising approach to prevent and treat cancer. Vaccines have the potential to overcome the failed immune response to cancer cells by priming the immune system to recognize and destroy these cells. But two issues hamper the success of generating cancer vaccines: the difficulty in identifying an appropriate tumour associated antigen (TAA) that would induce an anti-tumour response; and the availability of a safe but potent adjuvant (partner) therapy to boost the immune response against the antigen. Kaley Wilson is researching ways to overcome these obstacles and allow the creation of a non-viral DNA cancer vaccine. To accomplish this, she is using two lipid, or fat-based delivery systems to introduce TAA and adjuvant therapies into tumour cells. The combination of these two lipid-based technologies could support the development of a vaccine targeting a variety of cancers.
Improving quantitative occupational exposure assessment methods for retrospective epidemiologic studes
The degree to which occupational exposure to carcinogens causes cancer is uncertain, but many researchers believe that only a small fraction of occupationally related cancers are reported to workers’ compensation systems. The primary challenge in studying occupational cancer is assessing exposure. In the past, most studies used qualitative methods to compare health risks of workers with differing levels of exposure to carcinogens. With today’s lower levels of exposure in the workplace, quantitative assessment is becoming more important. But there is a lack of standardized methods for quantitatively assessing exposure. Melissa Friesen is developing standardized methods — particularly including the use of statistical modeling — to improve the precision and specificity of quantitative exposure estimates. She will test the methods on data from three large studies of contaminants at BC. Melissa will also work with the US National Cancer Institute to apply the methods to data from case-control studies. This research will lead to improved methods for quantitative exposure assessment, which are necessary for public policy initiatives such as assessing risk, establishing preventative strategies and setting exposure limits.
Structural determination of bacterial type III secretion mechanisms
Overuse and improper use of common antibiotics have reduced their effectiveness because bacteria become resistant to the drugs. As result, there is a growing interest and need to discover new drug therapies to combat bacterial infections. A novel approach to fighting bacteria is to inhibit mechanisms that allow virulence factors to be secreted into host cells. Jason Gunawan is studying a specific secretion mechanism called the Type 111 Secretion System (TTSS), which is found in several bacteria including E.coli and salmonella strains. While there is a wealth of information about the structural components of bacterial TTSS, very little is known about how these components are assembled and how they deliver virulence factors into human cells. Jason’s research findings may contribute to the development of new antibiotics.
The role of social support in coping with chronic low back pain: help or hindrance?
Approximately 14 per cent of Canadians suffer from chronic low back pain, making it the second most common chronic condition in the country. Some studies suggest that having a high level of satisfaction with social support may increase well-being of people with chronic back pain. However, there is little research that has addressed the potentially harmful effects of social support. Susan Holtzman is examining how support networks help or hinder patients in coping with chronic back pain over time. She will study 200 patients and their partners, using questionnaires and daily records to track pain levels, disability, mood, types of support received, satisfaction with support, coping strategies, and health. Findings from this research may lead to more effective and individualized treatment programs.
Mechanistic basis of the inhibitory effect of extracellular zinc on rat Kv3.1
Zinc is a trace element that concentrates in some nerve terminals in the brain. Increased zinc concentration in the brain has been linked to epileptic seizures, which affect about 300,000 Canadians. Zinc is known to inhibit a potassium channel, Kv3.1, essential for neuronal activity, but how this occurs is not yet understood. Daniel Kwan is joint author on two papers in the international Journal of Physiology on research into a protein that controls the movement of potassium ions from heart muscle cells. Now he is extending his studies to determine how zinc binds to and inhibits the Kv3.1 channel. Ultimately, the results may lead to new treatments and drugs for brain disorders such as epilepsy.