The following research breakthroughs are only a selection of the achievements made by UHN Researchers this year. For more research stories see Net Results and Net Results EXPRESS.

January
The first explanation for why people with Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) suffer from recurrent infections was reported by Dr. Kathy Siminovitch (TGRI/TGH). A disorder that affects four out of every one million male children, WAS is caused by a mutation in the WAS gene. Dr. Siminovitch's research showed that immune cells called T cells require the Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein to successfully eradicate infected cells from the body—a process that goes awry in WAS patients. (PubMed abstract) 

February
One of the world's first studies of the long-term effects of severe respiratory disease showed that after one year of recovery, most of the patients who had suffered from acute respiratory distress syndrome had regained normal or near normal pulmonary function. This finding, by Drs. Margaret Herridge and Angela Cheung (TGRI/TGH), is good news for survivors of severe lung diseases and their caregivers since they can be optimistic about their recovery over the long term. (PubMed abstract)

March
A UHN team discovered a new molecule that can inactivate the tumour suppressor protein p53. Research by Dr. Sam Benchimol , Dr. Roger Leng, Yunping Lin (OCI/PMH), and Dr. Razq Hakem (AMDI/OCI/PMH) showed that a physical interaction between these two molecules promotes ubiquitination and degradation of p53, a protein that is missing or mutated in approximately 50% of all human cancers. (PubMed abstract)

May
A new potential player in brain development was revealed in an expression analysis of MBD3. Researchers Dr. James Eubanks and Ben Jung from TGRI/TGH found that MBD3 is more prevalent in the embryonic brain of an animal model than in the adult brain. They also reported that levels of MBD3 decreased in specific areas of the brain (hippocampus and cortex) as the embryos matured.
(PubMed abstract)

September
A person's body mass index—a measurement that describes weight relative to height—may be a risk factor for determining his degree of responsiveness to antiviral treatment for hepatitis C infection, say Drs. Jenny Heathcote, Brian Bressler (TWRI/TWH), and George Tomlinson (TGRI/TGH). This innovative research has spurred the FDA to request that pharmaceutical companies conduct further tests to examine the effect of body weight on drug efficacy in hepatitis C patients. (PubMed abstract)

October
A hormone normally associated with stomach and digestion may be involved in the development of diabetes, reports TGRI/TGH endocrinology expert Dr. Daniel Drucker. The discovery that this hormone is essential for regulating blood sugar in the pancreas will have important implications for future diabetes research. (PubMed abstract)

October
For the first time there is proof of an effective treatment after tamoxifen for post-menopausal breast cancer survivors. Dr. Paul Goss (PMH) found that a drug called letrozole cuts the risk of breast cancer returning by 44% in women. This major international clinical trial involving over 5000 women was halted one year early because of these exceptionally positive results. (PubMed abstract)

November
A new index has been developed that may allow physicians to predict mortality risk for patients that have suffered from heart failure. Using data that is routinely recorded upon the arrival of heart failure patients, Drs. Peter Liu and Jean Rouleau (TGRI/TGH) generated this model to serve as an aid to clinicians caring for patients with this affliction. (PubMed abstract)

November
The reason why women with systemic lupus erythematosus are at greater risk for developing coronary heart disease may be due to having higher levels of triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than normal healthy women, report Drs. Murray Urowitz, Dafna Gladman (TWRI/TWH), and George Steiner (TGRI/TGH). This finding may lead to screening and monitoring for potentially manageable risk factors to decrease the risk of heart disease in these women. (PubMed abstract)

December
A protein called sonic hedgehog was identified as a new possible therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease. Research by Dr. Jonathan Brotchie (TWRI/TWH) and his collaborators in France, the US and the UK showed that sonic hedgehog is reduced in animals with Parkinson's disease. It is possible that drugs designed to mimic the actions of this protein may lead to a more focused approach to treating this illness. (PubMed abstract)

December
Pioneering research by Dr. Pam Ohashi (OCI/PMH) and her team led to the discovery that a molecule called heat shock protein 70 found naturally in the body can activate the immune system to attack healthy tissues. Her research may be key to understanding the development of autoimmune diseases such as Type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
(PubMed abstract)

December
A new treatment devised by Dr. Eleanor Fish (TGRI/TGH) and based on antiviral proteins called interferons has shown great promise against SARS in preliminary tests. Interferons are produced by the immune system to fight viral infections. Patients who received interferon showed faster improvement of their disease based on their lung X-rays, and they required less oxygen than did comparable patients during the outbreak that did not receive interferon.
(Pubmed abstract)