U OF S RESEARCHERS RECEIVE $837,000 FROM HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION
Posted November 23, 2001
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Prepared in conjunction with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan
FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 23, 2001
U OF S RESEARCHERS RECEIVE $837,000 FROM HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION
Saskatoon (Nov. 23, 2001) - In an era of challenges in funding for medical
research in our province, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan
announced today that it is providing more than $837,000 to 18 research teams
at the University of Saskatchewan.
According to Mary MacDonald, President of the Foundation, the funding
represents the majority of heart and stroke research in our province, and is
part of an ongoing commitment to research here.
"Heart and Stroke Foundation is a major provider of medical research funding
in our province," says Bruce Waygood, Co-ordinator of Health Research at the
University of Saskatchewan. "The ongoing funding from the Heart and Stroke
Foundation offers opportunities both to attract and retain high-quality
researchers and clinicians at the Universities and in the Province."
MacDonald says these dollars come at a crucial time, as federal medical
research funding sources have just undergone a restructuring. The new body,
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), has broadened the definition
of medical research, so while dollars for research have increased somewhat,
there are far more researchers from various fields right across Canada
competing for those dollars.
MacDonald notes that "the researchers who have been awarded Heart and Stroke
grants are working in diverse areas, such as preventing stroke in babies,
developing techniques to make heart surgery safer and finding new ways to
help seniors stay active. In some cases, because their projects are up and
running thanks to HSFS funding, they have been able to attract additional
grants from CIHR or other bodies."
The benefits reach outside the lab as well. Many of these highly rated
researchers are also teachers at the University or doctors at the hospitals,
so keeping them in Saskatchewan makes good sense from education and patient
care perspectives.
MacDonald, who is Professor and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs in the
College of Nursing, notes that the quality of research being done here is
excellent. "Many people don't know that some of the best researchers into
heart disease and stroke are right here in Saskatchewan," she says. "As
Canadians, we tend to be humble about our accomplishments, but Canadian
heart and stroke research has made many achievements of which we can be
proud."
In fact, Canada is credited with such breakthroughs as the pacemaker, heart
by-pass surgery and human heart valve replacements, and Canadian
cardiovascular specialists have gained worldwide recognition for their
careful and rigorous evaluation of and participation in clinical trials and
health services research.
"We know that treating people once they are ill from heart disease or stroke
is an immensely expensive process," she notes. "That is why so many of these
research projects are looking at ways of preventing heart disease and
stroke, and at ways of reducing the damage once it happens. The ultimate
goal is better prevention and better treatment."
Currently heart disease and stroke cause more than 79,000 deaths in Canada
each year. It is the most expensive category of diseases to treat and the
leading cause of hospitalizations and adult disability.
A list of recipients follows in the Backgrounder.
For more information, contact:
Rhae Ann Bromley, Director of Communication,
Heart and Stroke Foundation of SK
1-306-693-0350 bromleyra@hsf.sk.ca www.heartandstroke.ca
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer, Office of the Vice-President (Research),
University of Saskatchewan
Telephone: (306) 966-2506 wardenk@duke.usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
BACKGROUNDER -- November 23, 2001
Research
. . . the power to change lives.
When the Heart and Stroke Foundation began its work in 1956, open heart
surgery was rare and highly dangerous, strokes were considered "acts of God"
that could neither be prevented or treated.
Today, thanks to Heart and Stroke Foundation research, surgeons can quickly
and safely reshape a failing heart, re-route blood flow and cure
life-threatening heart rhythm disorders.
Research has brought us from the raw beginnings of folk medicine to
procedures and tools of stunning sophistication. We can now look inside the
beating heart, the living cell, even the functioning brain and measure what
is happening and why.
This year, 17 Saskatchewan research projects, plus an innovative "Group
Grant" will continue the search that will unlock the mysteries of the human
heart and brain.
PROJECT SUMMARIES
GROUP GRANT: Dr. Tom Wilson (director of project), Dr. Venkat
Gopalakrishnan, Dr. Linda Hiebert and Dr. Robert McNeill
Regulation of Endothelial Factors in Hypertension and Diabetes
In 1892, Sir William Osler wrote, "a man is only as old as his arteries". In
the 1950s, University of Saskatchewan research pioneer Rudolph Altschul
refined that observation: "A man is only as old as his endothelium", and
began a new era of understanding of how this microscopically thin layer of
cells lining our arteries can have such an impact on overall health.
Research discoveries then clearly show that the endothelium, by releasing a
variety of substances, controls how the smooth muscles within the blood
vessels contract and dilate. Some of these substances have been extensively
studied, but others, however, have not received adequate scientific
attention.
This Heart and Stroke Foundation Group Grant project brings together four
highly respected researchers from two different colleges at the University
of Saskatchewan in a joint effort to focus on specific chemical reactions
within the endothelium. The group will look at how dysfunction in the
release of one of these substances, endothelin-1 or ET-1, is linked to
hypertension and diabetes, both primary risk factors for heart disease and
stroke.
RESEARCH GRANTS IN AID 2001-2002
Dr. Thomas Fisher
Ca2+ channel composition and neuroendocrine release
Imagine this: a "gate" on the wall of a cell within the heart. It opens to
let just enough calcium in to ensure that the cell can stay healthy and do
its very specific job of secreting important hormones and neurotransmitters.
The gate - called a Ca2+ channel - makes sure that other substances don't
enter, and that neither too much nor too little calcium passes through. Dr.
Fisher's project aims to clarify just what this gate's structure is and how
it carries out its very complex job.
Dr. Venkat Gopalakrishnan
Vascular Action of Peptides
Just what causes high blood pressure? While there are many underlying
factors, at the root of it all is the ability (or inability) of the blood
vessel walls to contract and relax as the heart beats. Dr. Gopalakrishnan is
studying how one hormone, vasopressin, affects both the blood vessels and
the heart itself. He has already found that high levels of vasopressin
(present in patients with heart failure) can lead to an enlarged heart, and
this project aims to better understand how and why vasopressin contributes
to heart failure.
Dr. Linda Hiebert
Oral Heparins
Ouch! Heart attack survivors are usually given heparins (powerful
clot-preventors) for several days following their attack. Traditionally,
this drug is administered by a painful series of injections, making at-home
treatment difficult and painful. Dr. Hiebert's studies have challenged the
accepted idea that heparins are only effective if injected, and she is
studying how well the body uses heparin when it is given orally. Her project
may lead to new (and much less painful and less costly) way of providing a
known, effective drug treatment.
Dr. Thomas Hurst and David Johnson
NOS and MMP in Extracorporeal Oxygenation
Coronary artery surgery - heart bypass operations - are common surgical
procedures, saving thousands of lives each year. They are not without risk,
however. During this surgery, a patient's heart is stopped and s/he is
placed on a heart-lung machine, which circulates the blood for two or more
hours. Unfortunately, this also triggers the body's defenses, and damage to
the heart may result. This research team is looking to better understand the
body's reaction and how to possibly block this reaction to make heart
surgery safer.
Dr. Robert McNeill
Vasopressin in Rat Models of Hypertension
Two hormones, vasopressin and angiotensin, are known to increase blood
pressure through a direct action on blood vessels. Dr. McNeill recently
discovered that they also increase blood pressure indirectly by release of
another hormone, endothelin (found in the lining of the blood vessels), a
powerful constrictor of those vessels. This study may help in the
development of new drugs to reduce blood pressure, a leading risk factor for
stroke and heart disease.
Drs. Phyllis Paterson, Bernhard Juurlink and Jim Thornhill
Regulation of Brain Glutathione by Nutritional Factors in Stroke
This team is investigating whether nutritional status can influence the
extent of brain damage and disability that occur following a stroke. Some
seniors are at particular risk, as they may have less than adequate
protein-energy status due to diet or to other medical conditions. Also under
study are nutritional and drug therapies aimed at reducing disability when
administered either prior to or in the first few hours following a stroke.
Dr. Kailash Prasad
Oxyradicals in Hypercholesterolemic Toxicity on Vascular System and Effect
of Secoisolariciresinol
It is generally known that high blood cholesterol contributes to
atherosclerosis, a plaque buildup in the lining of the arteries that impairs
or blocks blood flow. Dr. Prasad believes that oxygen free radicals play a
central role in the buildup of this plaque, and is examining if an
antioxidant (SDG, derived from flaxseed) is effective in reducing and
preventing the buildup. If so, this could prove to be a safe and inexpensive
treatment for atherosclerosis caused by high blood cholesterol.
Dr. Bruce Reeder
Saskatchewan Heart Health Program: Dissemination Research
This five-year program, jointly funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation,
Health Canada and Sask. Health, will help equip health districts with the
knowledge, skills and resources to deliver and evaluate heart health
promotion to the people they serve. The Program offers continuing education,
consultation and networking support to doctors, nurses, educators and other
health practitioners.
Dr. Anurag Saxena
Regulation of Apoptosis in Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis involves the accumulation of cells and their products in the
arterial wall. Apart from an impact on blood pressure, the cells in the
plaque may die at unexpected times contributing to plaque breakdown. This
broken plaque is the major reason of acute complications including heart
attack and stroke. Dr. Saxena's project is aimed at understanding the
mechanisms responsible for the life and death of the cells in the plaque.
This understanding may lead to new treatments to prevent acute
complications.
Dr. Rajendra K. Sharma
Calmodulin Regulated Proteins in the Heart
Living cells rely on an intracellular communications system - a sort of
'human body internet' - to monitor changes in their environment. Dr. Sharma
is looking at two small yet crucial messengers in this complex system, to
see how they relay information between cells within the heart and provide
the information these cells need to make their constant and important
adjustments in response to external changes.
Drs. Kevin Spink, Karen Chad and Bruce Reeder
Examining physician counseling to promote the adoption of physical activity:
a controlled trial
Most people know that physical activity can cut the risk of heart disease,
yet Canadians - particularly older Canadians - just aren't active enough to
benefit their hearts (only slightly more than half of people between 55 and
74 exercise at least once a week for at least 15 minutes). This research
team feels that physicians can encourage their patients to get more
physically active, and has designed a clinical trial that brings together
the doctor, patient and an exercise specialist. The goal is to better
understand what the exercise barriers are for this age group, and to develop
an effective program to help people overcome them and enjoy the many
benefits of physical activity. The aim of this project is to examine whether
this program will enhance the role of doctors in promoting physical activity
in older patients.
Drs. Jim Thornhill and Bernhard Juurlink
Febrile/non-febrile Bacterial Infection and Cerebral Ischemia
Temperature plays an important role in the degree of brain damage caused by
stroke. This project focuses on why stroke, which causes an inflammatory
response in the brain, evokes the central nervous system to raise the body's
temperature - a response that actually hastens the death of brain cells.
Drs. Thornhill and Juurlink are seeking a better understanding of how, by
reducing core body temperature, we may be able to reduce the inflammation
and resultant cell death of stroke. This project holds promise of a
relatively safe non-invasive stroke treatment.
Dr. Wolfgang Walz
Functional Specialization of Glial Cell Populations in Reactive Gliosis
Just like after an injury anywhere else on our body, scar tissue forms in
the brain following a stroke. How does the scar tissue affect the recovery
process? Dr. Walz is looking to better understand two opposing roles that
this scar tissue plays: on one hand, it produces substances that appear to
help neurons survive. On the other hand, however, it physically forms a
barrier that prevents regenerating neurons from "reaching out" to make
contact with each other. A better understanding of the brain's amazing
ability to heal itself with this scar tissue is the goal of this project.
Dr. Hui Wang
Vascular gp91 phox containing NADPH oxidase in angiotensin 11-induced
hypertension
High blood pressure is one of the most prevalent - and potentially dangerous
- diseases in Western societies. One current treatment, angiotensin
converting enzyme inhibitor, has proven to be fairly effective in helping
patients to control their blood pressure but doctors still don't completely
understand why this medication works. Dr. Wang and her team are looking at a
possible explanation. She has postulated that these patients' arteries are
under oxidative stress, and that one specific peptide, Angiotensin II, is
somehow at the root of it. A better understanding of the interaction of
this peptide, oxidative stress and the lining of our arteries could help
doctors to better treat a range of health problems, including diabetes and
atherosclerosis as well as high blood pressure.
Dr. Rui Wang
The Vascular Effect of Carbon Monoxide and the Underlying Mechanism
Dr. Wang and his research team are breaking new ground in looking at the
genetic causes of hypertension. They have identified five genes that control
blood pressure, and have found that an imbalance of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in
those genes may cause high blood pressure and diabetes. This project is now
seeking ways to alter this CO level, first at the cellular level then
hopefully to groups of cells, then tissues. The ultimate goal would be to
find a way to control CO levels in whole organs, possibly through gene
therapy. This could be a major breakthrough in treatment of high blood
pressure and diabetes.
Drs. Jerome Yager and Bernard Juurlink
A Model of Periventricular Leukomalacia
This research team is looking at injury to the white matter of the brain,
the part of the brain that allows it to communicate with itself and the rest
of the organs of the body. Damage to this region occurs almost exclusively
to newborn and prematurely born infants, and is the main cause of cerebral
palsy (occurring in about 2 of every 1000 Saskatchewan children each year).
Major disabilities to the children and tremendous emotional and economic
burden to families make this a pressing concern, yet little research has
been done in this area. Drs. Yager and Juurlink are working to study the
causes and to develop important strategies of overcoming these devastating
effects.
Dr. Peter Yu
Endogenous Toxic Aldehydes and Vascular Disorders
An enzyme called SSAO, normally contained in the vascular tissues and blood,
has been found to be more active in patients with atherosclerosis, and in
diabetic and obese people. Increased SSAO is responsible for the production
of toxic substances that damage the blood vessels and contribute to plaque
buildup in the arteries. Dr. Yu's research project is testing an inhibitor
to block this SSAO activity, and he hopes this could possibly lead to
development of a new way to reduce risk of vascular disorders such as
atherosclerosis.
