Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease in children, and accounts for 25 per cent of school absenteeism. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) generally affects people over 60, and includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The rate of both diseases is increasing worldwide, and while asthma symptoms can be treated, COPD has no cure. Neutrophils are the largest cell population among white blood cells and are a critical component of the immune system. Neutrophils contain toxins that enable them to kill bacteria. However, they are more aggressive in people with asthma and COPD and release more toxins, which may exacerbate lung damage. The way neutrophils release these toxins and the genes that may control their release are unknown. Dr. Salahaddin Mahmudi-Azer is researching the mechanism for toxin release and the genes controlling the process to develop new ways of treating asthma and COPD.
Year: 2003
The development of a method to study biomechanics of bronchial smooth muscle obtained from endobronchial biopsy
Dr. Brent McParland believes the key to improving care for asthma lies in understanding the underlying mechanisms that cause airway narrowing. In asthma, the airways narrow too much and too easily when exposed to stimuli such as pollens and cat hair. The amount of airway smooth muscle (ASM) is increased in people with asthma, which should mean that asthmatic airways develop more force than non-asthmatic airways. Yet studies have not shown more force in asthmatic airways, as might be expected with more muscle. However, these studies did not assess the ability of the muscle to shorten, which causes the airway to narrow. Dr. McParland is developing a method of obtaining very small airway tissue samples from lung surgeries for use in measuring smooth muscle shortening. He will use the method to compare the airway smooth muscle in normal and asthmatic tissues. This research could result in a better understanding of the nature of exaggerated airway narrowing in asthma.
What makes women healthy? Examining social inequalities and women's health
In her PhD research Dr. Colleen Reid examined how poverty and exclusion influence the health of marginalized women. Her interdisciplinary PhD bridged social epidemiology, health promotion, feminist theory, and participatory action research. Colleen developed a theory of cultural, institutional, and material exclusion and engaged in a feminist action research project to better understand the relationship between poverty and women’s health. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Reid is now developing and testing conceptualizations and measures of health inequalities with a specific focus on Canadian women. The research involves conducting an extensive literature review, integrating qualitative and quantitative measures, and working collaboratively with health researchers to move theories and methodologies toward practical and policy applications. This research will address major gaps in health inequalities research, a critical step for enabling health researchers to address root causes of social inequalities.
Pain reactivity in children as an indicator of somatization and health care utilization
Research has substantially increased understanding of pain in children, revealing for example that patterns of response to pain and other illness symptoms develop during childhood and continue into adult years. A number of studies have also shown that some children tend to react more than others to bodily symptoms and pain. Dr. Elizabete Rocha is investigating whether or not children who react more intensely to pain are more likely to visit their doctors and have repeated health problems. Her research involves collecting data on the pain response of kindergarten-aged children during immunization. This includes examining the children’s behavioural and physical responses to the needle, and giving parents a questionnaire aimed at getting their insight into how intensely their children react to pain. She will then follow the children over a number of years to document their use of the health system. Through this long term follow-up, Dr. Rocha hopes to develop methods of helping to identify children who may be at risk for low pain tolerance and of helping to prevent or better manage their pain.
Synaesthesia: A window into abnormal perceptual experiences
Synaesthesia is a fascinating condition in which individuals can experience tactile sensations when they taste foods or perceive colours when they hear sounds. Very little is known about the brain activity underlying this condition. Although synaesthesia occurs in healthy people, synaesthetic experiences are reminiscent of the abnormal perceptions that occur in other disorders such as schizophrenia. Dr. Daniel Smilek is using neuroimaging techniques to investigate the brain activity associated with this condition. Results from the research could provide insight into the brain processes involved with abnormal perception in various syndromes, such as schizophrenia, as well as the processes underlying perception in normal individuals.
Bi-specific antisense and RNAi targeting of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-5 as a novel treatment strategy for delaying progression and bony metastasis of prostate cancer
Prostate Cancer is the most common cause of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men in North America. But removing the androgens (male sex hormones) that regulate tumour growth — the only existing therapy shown to prolong survival — only produces temporary remission. Surviving tumour cells usually recur, becoming androgen independent. To improve survival, new therapeutic strategies must be developed. Dr. Alan So is exploring a novel way to treat prostate cancer at the molecular level. He is observing how prostate cancer is affected by shutting down two common genes in prostate cancer cells: IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-5 (insulin-like growth factor binding proteins). These genes are essential for prostate cancer to grow and spread to the bones. His research is also examining the effect of combining this treatment with chemotherapy on prostate cancer cells. The ultimate goal is to develop a more effective treatment for prostate cancer that can be tested in clinical trials.
The contribution of amyloid-induced neuroinflammatory factors to disturbances in neural processes related to learning and memory
Close to 250,000 Canadians over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. The leading cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease characterized by loss of memory, judgement and reasoning, and changes in mood and behaviour. There is no known cause or cure. Within the brain, cells shrink or disappear and are replaced by dense spots, or plaques, which contain a protein called beta amyloid. Recent studies show chronic inflammation in the brain cells plays an important role in the development of Alzheimer Disease. Microglia — the smallest cells surrounding neurons — seem to contribute to this process, and the beta amyloid protein interacts with these cells. Dr. Aline Stephan is studying how amyloid deposits inside the brain induce neural changes to affect synaptic processes and memory function. Her research will help explain how inflammation exacerbates memory deficits, and may lead to new therapies to treat the disease.
Investigating protein expression and localization in microsporidian parasites during infection
Dr. Ross Waller’s earlier research into the malaria parasite has contributed important information leading to a new array of drugs to treat the disease. Now he is studying microsporidia, a group of intracellular parasites that infect humans and animals. In particular, microsporidia infect immune-compromised individuals, causing encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines). The parasites have a remarkable method for invading host cells. This small, simple spore releases a harpoon-like tube that pierces the host cell. The parasite contents are then injected into the host through this tube, establishing the infection. Ross is identifying specific genes and proteins involved in the infection process, using genome sequences that have identified all the genes in two microsporidia. He is looking at the way proteins are prepared prior to and during the initial stages of infection. The results may provide new ways to combat these organisms.
A postdoctoral program to enhance planning and quality improvement initiatives in mental health through the validation of administrative mental disorder diagnoses
While a number of significant improvements in treatment of mental disorders have been made in recent years, gaps remain. For example, major depression is identified in only 50 per cent of people with the disorder when they visit their family doctor, and only half of those people receive appropriate treatment. Initiatives to address these gaps include programs that provide public and physician education and increase connections between care providers. However, it’s unclear how successful these initiatives will be due to a lack of data on the prevalence of mental disorders and whether people improve as a result of these programs. Dr. Paul Waraich is evaluating whether data routinely collected from hospital and physician visits, as well as medication prescriptions, are of sufficient quality to be used to evaluate changes in the care of major depression and other mental disorders. The research could greatly improve understanding of whether new mental health care programs are effective.
Analysis of specific host responses to pathogenic Escherichia coli infection
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria cause much disease and death worldwide. However, little is known about the mechanisms these bacteria and others use to cause disease in their hosts. Specific virulence factors – strategies and molecules that enable the bacteria to cause infection – are needed for disease to develop. The bacteria inject these virulence factors into host cells, which affect normal cellular processes. Dr. Mark Wickham is using two pathogens, E. coli and Citrobacter rodentium, as a model to research how pathogens produce disease at the molecular and cellular levels. Understanding how this process occurs will address a gap in current knowledge, thus improving health and health services, and the research results could be applicable to other disease-causing organisms.