Researcher sees parallels in the challenges of developing antiviral drugs for respiratory infections caused by influenza and coronaviruses
A University of Alberta laboratory has uncovered the mechanism of action for a recently approved influenza drug in newly published research. The scientists discovered that the drug baloxavir marboxil binds highly efficiently to an enzyme that is key to how the influenza virus replicates inside an infected patient. They also showed how a mutation of…
Promising results in mice open door to new areas of research in treating patients
Researchers have found that limiting the amount of fat the body releases into the bloodstream from fat cells during heart failure could help improve outcomes for patients. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology, Jason Dyck, professor of pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and director of the University of Alberta’s Cardiovascular Research Centre, found…
Researchers have identified a new mechanism responsible for the buildup of plaque on artery walls
Glycomics researchers at the University of Alberta and CHU Sainte-Justine have reported a discovery that could lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease. The researchers identified a new mechanism responsible for the buildup of plaque on artery walls, a process known as atherosclerosis. This plaque, made up of fats, cholesterol and other substances, can restrict…
Annual fundraising effort to support clinical trial of precision drug developed at U of A
As 40 local hockey players brave the elements on an outdoor rink just outside Sherwood Park, Alberta for the World’s Longest Hockey Game, they’ll be making a difference in the lives of cancer patients in Edmonton. Over the course of more than 10 days and nights of non-stop shinny, the game, which began on Feb.…
Researchers hope to move toward earlier diagnosis and effective treatments
University of Alberta researchers have discovered a new method to identify the severity of Lou Gehrig’s disease in patients and track its progression. The U of A team, led by Sanjay Kalra, a professor in the Division of Neurology, has made progress toward an imaging biomarker for white-matter degeneration in the brains of ALS patients. They hope…
Vericiguat, which was shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure, passes final regulatory hurdle in the United States
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug vericiguat for use in patients with heart failure. The drug – a first-of-its-kind, once-daily oral treatment for patients with worsening chronic heart failure – was approved in part thanks to the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study In Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) clinical study…
A focus on teamwork and patient needs has led to breakthroughs in the search for cancer therapies, antivirals and safer drugs
Khaled Barakat was stars-truck the first time he met Michael Houghton in 2012. He knew the U of A virologist and director of the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute was renowned for discovering the hepatitis C virus and was likely to win a Nobel Prize (which Houghton eventually did in 2020). Barakat, a PhD in biophysics, landed an…
U of A research sets the stage for imminent human trials of B-cell lymphoma treatment
Scientists have identified the mechanism of action behind a new type of precision cancer drug for blood cancers that is set for human trials, according to research published recently in Nature Communications. The University of Alberta research team led by Luc Berthiaume, cell biology professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, spent four years working to…
Created using synthetic DNA, viltolarsen is an excellent example of precision medicine
A University of Alberta researcher’s past work has led to a new drug being approved for use in the United States to treat patients suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The drug, viltolarsen, was approved for use in Japan earlier this year and passed a significant hurdle in August when the U.S. Food and Drug…
Understanding how the conditionally approved COVID-19 drug works is key to improving treatments, says U of A researcher
Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a novel, second mechanism of action by the antiviral drug remdesivir against SARS-CoV-2, according to findings published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The research team previously demonstrated how remdesivir inhibits the COVID-19 virus’s polymerase or replication machinery in a test tube. Matthias Götte, chair of medical microbiology and immunology…
A University of Alberta laboratory has uncovered the mechanism of action for a recently approved influenza drug in newly published research. The scientists discovered that the drug baloxavir marboxil binds highly efficiently to an enzyme that is key to how the influenza virus replicates inside an infected patient. They also showed how a mutation of…
