Welcome to the inaugural issue of McEwen Monthly, the e-newsletter of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine. This newsletter will keep you updated with news and "nuggets" of information about the Centre.
With McEwen Monthly you'll learn about ongoing research at the Centre, recent seminars and events, funding successes and honours won. As well, the newsletter will provide you with reminders for upcoming seminars, events and key grant deadlines.
We hope you will find this newsletter informative and helpful. If you have news to share, story ideas, feedback or questions please contact Shelley.Brown@uhnresearch.ca.
A recent study from Dr. Rudiger von Harsdorf’s laboratory, published in Nature Genetics in March 2008, demonstrates a functional link between the protein kinase CK2-alpha and p27, a cancer-related cell cycle inhibitor. The study reveals how this interaction may mediate the hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes.
Using a combination of cell culture studies and p27 knockout mice, they report that p27 inhibits hypertrophic growth in adult cardio-myocytes. CK2-alpha phosphorylates p27 in response to hypertrophy, eliminating the inhibitory influence of p27 on CK2-alpha. Unphosphorylated p27 acts to suppress hypertrophy and cardiac growth, as demonstrated using p27 knockout mice treated with the growth factor angiotensin II, or with surgical banding, a model for severe hypertension.
These findings suggest a critical role for CK2-alpha and p27 in cardiac growth control, and their interaction may be important in the discovery new therapeutic interventions for heart failure.
Protein kinase CK2 links extracellular growth factor signaling with the control of p27(Kip1) stability in the heart. Hauck L, Harms C, Rohne J, Gertz K, Dietz R, Endres M, von Harsdorf R. Nat Med. 2008 Mar;14(3):315-24. [Abstract]
McEwen researcher Dr. John Dick is the 2008 recipient of the AACR G.H.A. Clowes Award, an award given to a researcher in recognition of outstanding accomplishments in basic cancer research.
The award acknowledges Dr. Dick's work on leukemia pathogenesis, hematopoietic stem cell biology, and the discovery of cancer stem cells in leukemia.
Dr. Dick will be presented with the award at the upcoming AACR meeting in San Diego, CA (April 12-16).
Dr. Shaf Keshavjee was awarded one of two Wyeth Pharmaceuticals/CIHR Rx&D Clinical Research Chairs in Transplantation for his work entitled “Ex-vivo Gene Repair of Injured Donor Lungs for Transplantation”.
In partnership with the CIHR/Rx&D Clinical Research Program, Wyeth has set up the Chairs to promote research in transplantation and to develop multidisciplinary approaches to studying the long term effects of organ transplantation.
Dr. Molly Shoichet was awarded a Killam Research Fellowship in Chemical Engineering from the Canada Council for the Arts for her proposal entitled “Three Dimensional Presentation of Immobilized Growth Factors to Guide and Control Cell Differentiation”.
Ten Killam Research Fellowships are awarded each year to support scholars involved in research of outstanding merit in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, engineering and interdisciplinary studies within these fields.
Congratulations to McEwen investigators Drs. Ren-Ke Li, Andras Nagy and Thomas Waddell for their successful applications in the latest round of CIHR operating grants. Dr. Waddell’s application was ranked first by the Respiratory System Committee.
Kudos also to Drs. Michael Fehlings and Rudiger von Harsdorf for their successful applications to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Special honours to Dr. Fehlings who was also awarded a 21st Century Grant from the Cervical Spine Research Society, and received a one-year renewal from the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
A large crowd of various ages and backgrounds discussed the future of stem cell research with Gordon Keller and Andras Nagy at the Duke of York pub on February 13, 2008.
Following presentations from Drs. Keller and Nagy and lawyer Vanessa Grant describing the current status and law regarding stem cell research in Canada, the floor was opened up for questions.
The cozy atmosphere enabled a lively discussion with questions ranging from the use of stem cells in performance enhancement for athletes to cost-benefit issues to stem cells offering eternal life.
More information on Cafe Scientifique.
April 2008 | mcewencentre.ca
McEwen/McLaughlin Seminar SeriesSeminars take place from 10-11 am in the Fitzgerald Building, 150 College St., Room 103. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
April 3, 2008 – Dr. Konrad Hochedlinger, Harvard University
Reprogramming of Adult Cells into Pluripotent Cells
April 24, 2008 – Dr. Charles Murry, University of Washington
Embryonic Stem Cells: Differentiation Pathways and Cardiac Repair Applications?
May 15, 2008 – Dr. Carla Bender Kim, Children's Hospital/Harvard University
Examining Stem Cells in Normal Lung and Lung Cancer
Applications for the second round of McEwen Postdoctoral Fellowships will soon be available. Deadline for application is July 14, 2008. Details will be announced shortly.
The Stem Cell Network is now conducting an open call for Core Research Proposals. The application deadline is April 25, 2008. [More]
Risk factors for major complications after extrapleural pneumonectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. de Perrot M, McRae K, Anraku M, Karkouti K, Waddell TK, Pierre AF, Darling G, Keshavjee S, Johnston MR. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008 Apr;85(4):1206-10. [Abstract]
Sodium-hydrogen exchange inhibition by cariporide to reduce the risk of ischemic cardiac events in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: results of the EXPEDITION study. Mentzer RM Jr, Bartels C, Bolli R, Boyce S, Buckberg GD, Chaitman B, Haverich A, Knight J, Menasché P, Myers ML, Nicolau J, Simoons M, Thulin L, Weisel RD; EXPEDITION Study Investigators. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008 Apr;85(4):1261-70. [Abstract]
Intravenously administered bone marrow cells migrate to damaged brain tissue and improve neural function in ischemic rats. Wu J, Sun Z, Sun HS, Wu J, Weisel RD, Keating A, Li ZH, Feng ZP, Li RK. Cell Transplant. 2008;16(10):993-1005. [Abstract]
Ryanodine receptors decant internal Ca2+ store in human and bovine airway smooth muscle. Tazzeo T, Zhang Y, Keshavjee S, Janssen LJ. Eur Respir J. 2008 Mar 19. [Abstract]
A case of occult compartment syndrome and nonresolving rhabdomyolysis. Minnema BJ, Neligan PC, Quraishi NA, Fehlings MG, Prakash S. J Gen Intern Med. 2008 Mar 19. [Abstract]
Current status of experimental cell replacement approaches to spinal cord injury. Eftekharpour E, Karimi-Abdolrezaee S, Fehlings MG. Neurosurg Focus. 2008;24(3-4):E19. [Abstract]
Microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 deletion leads to adverse left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. Degousee N, Fazel S, Angoulvant D, Stefanski E, Pawelzik SC, Korotkova M, Arab S, Liu P, Lindsay TF, Zhuo S, Butany J, Li RK, Audoly L, Schmidt R, Angioni C, Geisslinger G, Jakobsson PJ, Rubin BB. Circulation. 2008 Mar 17. [Abstract]
Seeding bioreactor-produced embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes on different porous, degradable, polyurethane scaffolds reveals the effect of scaffold architecture on cell morphology. Fromstein JD, Zandstra PW, Alperin C, Rockwood D, Rabolt JF, Woodhouse KA. Tissue Eng Part A. 2008 Mar;14(3):369-378. [Abstract]
Hypothermia for spinal cord injury. Kwon BK, Mann C, Sohn HM, Hilibrand AS, Phillips FM, Wang JC, Fehlings MG; the NASS Section on Biologics. Spine J. 2008 Mar 7. [Abstract]
Design of protein-releasing chitosan channels. Kim H, Tator CH, Shoichet MS. Biotechnol Prog. 2008 Mar 7. [Abstract]
Emerging drugs for spinal cord injury. Baptist DC, Fehlings MG. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2008 Mar;13(1):63-80. [Abstract]
Predictive value of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring during cervical spine surgery: a prospective analysis of 1055 consecutive patients. Kelleher MO, Tan G, Sarjeant R, Fehlings MG. J Neurosurg Spine. 2008 Mar;8(3):215-21. [Abstract]
Repair of the chronically injured human spinal cord. Fehlings MG. J Neurosurg Spine. 2008 Mar;8(3):205-6. [Abstract]
Protein kinase CK2 links extracellular growth factor signaling with the control of p27(Kip1) stability in the heart. Hauck L, Harms C, Rohne J, Gertz K, Dietz R, Endres M, von Harsdorf R. Nat Med. 2008 Mar;14(3):315-24. [Abstract]
Allograft airway fibrosis in the pulmonary milieu: a disorder of tissue remodeling. Sato M, Liu M, Anraku M, Ogura T, D'Cruz G, Alman BA, Waddell TK, Kim E, Zhang L, Keshavjee S. Am J Transplant. 2008 Mar;8(3):517-28. [Abstract]
Ankylosing spondylitis and spinal cord injury: origin, incidence, management, and avoidance. Jacobs WB, Fehlings MG. Neurosurg Focus. 2008;24(1):E12. [Abstract]
The McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, led by director Dr. Gordon Keller, includes 15 scientists at the University of Toronto and five
Toronto hospitals, working to advance the development of
more effective treatments for conditions including heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease
and spinal cord injury.
The Centre is located at University Health Network, MaRS Centre, Toronto Medical Discovery Tower,
101 College Street, 8th Floor, Room 701,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1L7
Email: mcewencentre@uhn.on.ca
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