• CIHR at American Association for the Advancement of Science international conference on the environment
  
  CIHR representatives attended the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) which took place in San Diego, CA, February 18-22. The AAAS is an international, not-for-profit organization whose objective is to advance science by bringing together scientists and communicators from throughout the world. This year's themes were biodiversity and climate change. At a breakfast for journalists, Dr. Nancy Edwards, Scientific Director of the Institute of Population and Public Health, discussed the subject of the environment and health.

February 16, 2010

• $5 million grant to study the impact of contaminants on reproductive health

  The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is currently funding two teams of researchers from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) to study the impact of environmental contaminants on reproductive health. The first group will focus on brominated flame retardants, a type of contaminant found in most consumer products, whereas the second group will study phthalates, a pollutant contained in cosmetics and soft plastics. A better understanding of the impact of these environmental contaminants on human reproductive health will lead to more informed policies and legislation governing their use.

February 15, 2010

• The discovery of cells present in muscle tissues may give hope to people with muscular dystrophy

  Researchers funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), under the direction of Dr. Fabio Rossi of the University of British Columbia, have recently identified a new type of cells inside muscle tissues. These cells, known as fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), produce a signal that coordinates tissue regeneration and then disappear once regeneration is complete. In people suffering from chronic muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy, however, the FAPs remain active and continue to produce the regeneration signal, resulting in fibrosis. This discovery will enable researchers to improve their understanding of the role of FAPs and better control them through drugs. The findings are published in the February issue of Nature Cell Biology.

February 11, 2010

• B.C. study says residential school survivors could pass health risks

  For the first time ever, research has revealed a statistical connection between residential schools and infectious disease rates. New findings from a University of British Columbia study on at-risk Aboriginal young people in British Columbia point to alarming patterns of historical trauma, injection drug use and Hepatitis C (HCV) infection. The findings were released by the Cedar Project-a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-funded longitudinal study that monitors HIV and HCV among Aboriginal young people who use drugs in British Columbia.

February 10, 2010

• Be your own Olympian! CIHR celebrates Vancouver 2010

• Communication breakdown: nerve cells and Parkinson's disease
  
  A CIHR-funded study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, at McGill University has discovered a link between Parkinson's disease and defects in the ability of nerve cells to communicate. By studying defects in certain genes and proteins of patients with inherited forms of Parkinson's, researchers are learning about the molecular processes involved in the death of some neurons, which characterizes Parkinson's. The study, whose principal author is Dr. Edward Fon, provides new insight into the causes of Parkinson's disease, and could lead to new therapeutic strategies. It was published in the journal Molecular Cell, and was also selected as Editor's choice in the journal Science.

February 8, 2010

• Speech problems in people with Parkinson's disease might be a cause of their social isolation
  
  CIHR-funded researchers under the direction of Dr Mark Pell of McGill University have established a connection between social isolation of people with Parkinson's disease and their difficulty in expressing themselves. In the researchers' study, two groups of elderly adults - one with Parkinson's disease, the other without - described visual scenes aloud while their voices were recorded. When people who were unaware of the speakers' state of health then listened to these recordings, they perceived the speakers with Parkinson's as less interested, less involved, less happy, and less friendly than the others. The results of this study establish a correlation between communication problems due to Parkinson's and social isolation due to the limited number of interactions between people with Parkinson's and their environments. This study thus opens another avenue by which health professionals can address the emotional and psychological support to provide to people with Parkinson's. The study's findings have been published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

February 5, 2010

• Certain cells in the eye could cause loss of sight
  
  CIHR-funded researchers working with Frédéric Lebrun-Julien, a PhD student at the University of Montreal, have discovered that certain cells in the eye, known as glial cells, can cause blindness if they are activated. Glial cells normally protect neurons in the retina and brain. However, if they are triggered by an unusual molecule, called proNGF, glial cells will destroy these neurons. Researchers are currently working to determine whether glial cell activation can be prevented. Significant clinical benefits may result from this discovery, especially among persons suffering from eye diseases such as glaucoma. The findings have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

January 25, 2010

• National workshop on sodium reduction
  
  CIHR hosted a national workshop on developing a research agenda to support sodium reduction in Canada.
  
  
• CIHR Research Chair co-authors book on cannabis use
  
  Dr. Benedikt Fischer, CIHR/PHAC Research Chair in Applied Public Health at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., has co-written a book on controlling cannabis use. Cannabis Policy: Moving beyond Stalemate will guide policymakers on effective regulation of cannabis use. The book reviews the health and psychological hazards of cannabis use, while evaluating the effectiveness of current legal measures for controlling the drug. It also assesses alternative options for control. The book was published by Oxford University Press. Dr. Fischer's contribution to the book was funded in part by CIHR.

January 22, 2010

• CIHR-funded researchers receive double honours
  
  Two CIHR-funded researchers, Drs. Michael Meaney and Gustavo Turecki, have been named Radio-Canada's Scientists of the year 2009. Their work also made Québec Science magazine's list of the top 10 discoveries of 2009. Both men are researchers at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and professors in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University in Montréal. They are being honoured for their discovery of biological mechanisms through which life experiences can change the expression of certain genes responsible for the human stress response. More specifically, they have discovered that mistreatment experienced during childhood could cause lasting changes in the activity of these genes. Their discovery was published in March 2009 in the prestigious journal Nature Neuroscience. The study was co-financed by CIHR and the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

January 8, 2010

• New predictor for bone cancer prognosis in adolescents and young adults
  
  CIHR-supported researchers led by Dr. David Malkin at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto have recently discovered a new indicator that can help doctors predict how patients with bone cancer may respond to treatment. Researchers found a genetic mutation associated with poorer outcomes for patients with osteosarcoma, which most commonly affects adolescents and young adults. Every year, there are about 300 new cases of osteosarcoma in Canada. The mutation can help doctors decide how aggressively they need to treat specific cases. The study is published in the current issue of Cancer Research.

January 4, 2010

• Remembering fallen Canadian health reporter Michelle Lang 1975-2009
  
  
• Dementia rates projected to double in 30 years
  
  A new report from the Alzheimer Society of Canada predicts that by 2038, one new case of dementia will be diagnosed every two minutes, compared to one every five minutes in 2008. Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society indicates that if nothing changes by 2038, dementia will cost the Canadian healthcare system $872 billion over this 30-year period. The report outlines the urgent need for action against dementia and proposes a series of interventions that could help minimize the impact of the disease. The proposed tactics include: increasing the investment in dementia research, developing a national strategy; educating Canadians about risk reductions and early diagnosis; and providing support to people living with dementia, their caregivers and their families. The report was sponsored in part by CIHR.