Inside this issue...
New Research
Hereditary Hep C Heralds
Promising Parkinson Protector
Hormone-Immune Harmony
Destructive Deed in Diabetes Development Disclosed
New Faces in Research
Kudos for Koch
Breaking News
Champion Chairs
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UHN's Research Internet Site
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Genes predicting hep C treatment response identified
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New research by UHN’s Drs. Ian McGilvray (TGRI/TGH) and Jenny Heathcote (TWRI/TWH), have put health care providers one step closer to providing personalized care for the 230,000 Canadians with Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease that can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer. The current therapy has negative side effects and isn’t effective in many patients. The research team used advanced genomics techniques and microarray technology to identify a subset of 18 genes that can predict a patient’s response to therapy. The study followed 31 patients with the disease who were treated at TWRI/TWH.
Says Dr. McGilvray, “Our results show that a small number of genes can predict how a patient will respond to therapy, and it suggests that these genes may be important for helping the patient eliminate the virus. In the future we might be able to manipulate the products of these genes to improve how patients respond to treatment.”
Gastroenterology 2005 May; 128(5):1437-44. [PubMed abstract]
Funded by the PSI Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Institutes: TGRI/TGH and TWRI/TWH
Division: Experimental Therapeutics
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Gene provides protection against Parkinson disease
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Using a mouse model of Parkinson disease (PD), Drs. Andres Lozano
(TWRI/TWH) and Tak Mak (AMDI/OCI/PMH), as well as MD PhD students Raymond Kim and Suneil Kalia have found that a gene called DJ-1 protects the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain from the damage caused by unstable molecules that are naturally produced by our cells as they age.
Knowing that families with early onset PD have mutations in the DJ-1 gene, the researchers studied PD progression in mice missing this critical gene. They found the
cortical neurons of these mice were more susceptible to damage caused by the unstable molecules, and restoration of the DJ-1 gene alleviated their PD symptoms. Says Dr. Lozano, “Our work suggests that DJ-1 acts to maintain the survival and health of the brain’s dopaminergic neurons.”
PNAS USA 2005 Apr 5;102(14):5215-20 [PubMed abstract]
Research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Parkinson’s Society of Canada, the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the Canadian Stroke Network.
Institute: TWRI/TWH and AMDI/OCI/PMH
Division: Applied & Interventional Research and Stem Cell & Developmental Biology
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First link between immune and hormonal systems pinpointed at UHN
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A molecular link between the immune and hormonal systems was recently discovered by UHN’s Drs. Sylvia Asa and Shereen Ezzat. The link may explain why some people have difficulty fighting off infections, and why some are more likely to develop autoimmune diseases.
The researchers found that a gene called Ikaros is key for the development of both systems. They found that neither the immune nor the hormonal system functioned properly in mice missing Ikaros, and mice missing the gene had a reduced chance of survival.
Says Dr. Asa, “If this finding holds true in humans, it could help identify people at risk of developing disesases characterized by abnormal immune surveillance including inflammatory diseases and cancers.”
J Clin Invest. 2005 Apr;115(4):1021-9 [PubMed abstract]
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Toronto Medical Laboratories
Institute: OCI/PMH
Division: Applied Molecular Oncology
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Diabetes finding may lead to new preventive and treatment measures
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A recent finding by Drs. Minna Woo, Pam Ohashi,
Razq Hakem (OCI/PMH) and
Herbert Gaisano (TWRI/TWH) has shed light on the genesis of diabetes.
Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease due to death of insulin-producing beta-cells in the pancreas. The research team studied mice genetically engineered to lack caspase-3, a molecule involved in programmed cell death.
To gain a better understanding of the exact role of caspase-3, the research team studied mice genetically engineered to be lacking it. They found that these mice were protected
from developing diabetes. Says Dr. Woo, “Mice lacking caspase-3 failed to develop diabetes, and importantly we found no evidence of an autoimmune response in their pancreatic tissues, which is a requisite step for triggering the disease. This tells us that caspase-3 is critical for the initiation of autoimmune diabetes, and our findings may have implications for preventing the onset of diabetes in the future.”
Mol Cell Biol. 2005 May;25(9):3620-9. [PubMed abstract]
Research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, and Bickell’s Foundation.
Institute: OCI/PMH and TWRI/TWH
Division: Signaling Biology
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C. Anne Koch, MD, PhD
Scientist, Division of Signaling Biology, OCI/PMH
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How can we enhance the success of radiation therapy for cancer patients? OCI/PMH’s newest researcher and radiation oncologist
Dr. Anne Koch is working on it.
Dr. Koch has always been interested in oncology. “I wanted to pursue a medical career that complemented my interest in basic cancer research,” says Dr. Koch. As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Koch spends 80% of her time in the lab, where she researches ways to manipulate the DNA repair process in cancer cells. Using proteomic techniques, she is identifying novel DNA repair components and examining their role(s) in the radiation response in human cells.
She says, “By exploiting the differences in DNA repair pathways in normal and cancerous cells, new targets for cancer treatment will be realized, which can also be used in combination with radiation therapy to improve treatment outcomes.”
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Two UHN Scientists Win Canada Research Chairs
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Congratulations to Drs. Andres Lozano (TWRI/TWH) and
Katherine Siminovitch (TGRI/TGH), each recently awarded Tier I CRCs.
Tier I CRCs are awarded to experienced investigators recognized internationally for their achievements.
Dr. Lozano’s research program will focus on identifying neurons and brain circuits involved in certain neurological disorders, and Dr. Siminovitch’s research program will focus on defining the molecular mechanisms associated with autoimmune disease.