March 2007

Inside this issue...

Research Breakthroughs
A Deeper Look into Movement Disorders

New Research Breakthroughs at UHN

Movement Disorders: Stimulating the Brain

A recent finding from UHN researchers Drs. Elena Moro, Andres Lozano, Janis Miyasaki, Anthony Lang, Jonathan Dostrovsky and William Hutchison may be a potential therapeutic treatment for individuals with cervical dystonia (CD) - a painful disorder characterized by the involuntary movement of neck muscles. Primary CD is estimated to affect approximately 20-40 individuals out of 100,000.

The study followed CD patients who were previously unresponsive to medical treatment.  Participants underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the bilateral globus pallidus internus.  DBS uses electrical stimulation to block neuronal signals that cause movement disorders (such as tremors, dystonia, stiffness and tics).

Results showed that this technique was an effective long-term therapy.  “This treatment is effective in improving severity, disability and pain in patients with CD that are currently not adequately controlled by medication,” says Dr. Moro.  “The clinical benefit has proven stable over a two-year period; however, more studies are needed to determine the optical parameters of stimulation in patients with CD.”

Neurology. 2007 Feb 6;68(6):457-9. [Pubmed abstract]

Cancer: Tipping the Protein Scales

The significance of a cancer protein in predicting clinical outcome for nasopharyngeal cancer has been determined by researchers at OCI. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a cancer of the head and neck region, one that is associated with the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV).

UHN researcher Dr. Fei-Fei Liu and colleagues investigated NP tumours—over a period of 11.4 years—for insight into the relationship between EBV and the levels of proteins p53, Bcl-2 and survivin, all known to be involved in cancer. Interestingly, the group showed that both high and low levels of survivin were associated with poor prognosis for the disease, in patients with EBV.

"For the first time in a clinical setting, we have shown that levels of the survivin protein in EBV tumours are related with overall survival," says Dr. Liu. "Our study provides further support to evaluating survivin as a therapeutic target for NPC."

Clin Cancer Res. 2006 Oct 1;12(19):5726-32. [Pubmed abstract] Research was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Cancer Research Network, the Elia Chair in Head & Neck Cancer Research, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Understanding Fatigue

A UHN study by researchers Drs. Shabbir Alibhai, George Tomlinson, Joseph Brandwein, Mark Minden, and Matthew Kowgier and Mr. Marc Leach is the first to investigate fatigue associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in detail. AML—a cancer of the blood—is more common in adults 60 years and older and has a significant effect on a patient’s quality of life.

Patients were studied to characterize the prevalence and severity of fatigue. Study authors show that fatigue was universal for all patients throughout the study regardless of treatment therapy with 98% having reported fatigue.

“Fatigue has a significant effect on a patient’s quality of life, so getting to the bottom is key,” says Dr. Alibhai. “Our next steps are to dig deeper into causes of fatigue, and whether chemotherapy or improved disease control impact on fatigue and design interventions to alleviate fatigue.”

Leukemia. 2007 Feb 8; [Epub ahead of print]. [Pubmed abstract] Research was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and the Ontario Ministry of Health.

Lung Regeneration: One Step Closer

TGRI scientists Drs. Mingyao Liu, Thomas Waddell and Shaf Keshavjee have determined a new avenue of research in lung regeneration. Using cell-based tissue engineering, this approach can potentially recreate alveolar-like structures – the site of gas exchange in the lungs.

Sponges of Gelfoam—a soft pliable surgical material—were incubated with animal fetal lung cells and implanted. Researchers used this type of cell because it has a great capacity for growth. Study findings show that the Gelfoam sponges were similar shape and pore size to natural structures. As animal lung tissue formed, the sponge degraded in a non-toxic and non-inflammatory manner. In addition, the Gelfoam sponges acted as an excellent supporting material for adult lung cells.

“Our future goal is to use this technique to deliver stem cells,” says Dr. Liu. “These findings have highlighted several important criteria and areas for investigation that will hopefully make lung regeneration a reality.”

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2007 Feb;292(2):L510-8. Epub 2006 Oct 6. [Pubmed abstract] Research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, and the Premier's Research Excellence Award from the Government of Ontario.

Arthritis: Controlling Disease Activity

 

In the largest randomized trial of its kind, UHN researcher Dr. Dafna Gladman and colleagues have determined that adalimumab—which blocks inflammatory responses—is a beneficial therapeutic agent in the treatment of a specific type of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis (PsA). PsA is a chronic inflammatory arthritis causing progressive joint damage and inflammation in the skin.

The study involved 315 patients across 50 North American and European sites, each of whom were given adalimumab or a placebo. After both 12 and 24 weeks, patients treated with adalimumab reported significant improvement in PsA-related symptoms and these responses were maintained through 48 weeks. These patients also experienced a reduction in joint damage determined on x-rays, suggesting adalimumab’s capabilities in reversing the effects of debilitating disease.

“This study has shown that adalimumab can control disease activity, thus improving physical function and quality of life in patients with moderate to severe PsA, and that the improvement is maintained through therapy,” says Dr. Gladman. “This finding could lead to reducing the economic burden associated with work-related disability and other direct healthcare costs.”

Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Feb;56(2):476-88. [Pubmed abstract] Research was supported by Abbott Laboratories.

Breaking News from UHN Research

UHN Researcher Named New Editor-in-Chief of Informatics Journal

 



UHN congratulates OCI researcher Dr. Igor Jurisica on his new role as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Cancer Informatics.

Dr. Jurisica's research is based on computational biology, representation, analysis and the visualization of high dimensional data generated by high-throughput biology. His particular area of interest is the use of comparative analysis for integrated data sets of protein-protein integration, gene expression profiling and high-throughput screens for protein crystallization.

Upcoming Events

UHN Microarray Centre Announces Functional Genomics Symposium

The UHN Microarray Centre will be holding the first annual Toronto Functional Genomics Symposium on Monday June 18 and Tuesday June 19, 2007 (8am-5pm both days).

For more information visit the UHN Microarray Centre.