A rejected patent application nearly derailed years of research, but support from experts saved the day
In 2015, University of Alberta cancer researcher Jack Tuszynski learned that his patent application for a promising chemotherapy treatment for people suffering from metastatic bladder cancer had been rejected by the U.S. Patent Office. “That was it. I thought, ‘We can’t proceed, we’re done, we spent almost a decade working on this and it’s a no go,’”…
An influential breast cancer screening trial was not randomized properly and should be withdrawn, new evidence shows
Thousands of Canadian women may have died needlessly of breast cancer because of the fallout from two flawed studies on breast screening, according to a group of prominent researchers. In a commentary published in the Journal of Medical Screening, the researchers say they have new evidence that the Canadian National Breast Screening trials carried out in the 1980s were…
Radon can become a risk to the health of you and your family
November is National Radon Action Month in Canada. Many people don't know that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Listed below are some of the myths and misconceptions of radon, a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock and that can become a risk to the…
When we think of a tasteless, odourless and invisible killer potentially lurking in our homes, carbon monoxide (CO) immediately comes to mind. What’s beyond our radar, however, is radon. In Canada, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, next to smoking, and the number one cause of cancer in non-smokers. While carbon monoxide…
In a groundbreaking study of people living with HIV, University of Alberta researchers found that elusive white blood cells called neutrophils play a role in impaired T cell functions and counts, as well as the associated chronic inflammation that is common with the virus. Neutrophils are a foundational part of the body’s immune system and…
Rectal cancer patients exercising during radiation more likely to have tumours disappear
Patients with rectal cancer who exercised while undergoing a form of tumour-shrinking radiation therapy in advance of surgery were more likely to have their tumours disappear, according to a University of Alberta study that begins to paint exercise as more than just a supportive care intervention. “This study starts to look at exercise as a cancer treatment,…
Research brings cancer-killing cells to bear against a certain type of colorectal cancer tumour
A University of Alberta researcher has discovered how two signalling molecules recruit immune cells known as killer T cells to a specific type of colon cancer with more favourable patient outcomes. The finding may represent a therapeutic strategy to target other types of cancers. Kristi Baker, assistant professor in the Department of Oncology, examined tumours…
Innovators in women and children’s health, water safety, nutrition and archeology join ranks
Why some are more susceptible to cardiovascular disease than others, even when taking into account life-modifying factors like smoking and exercise, boils down to developmental aspects that start in the womb, according to a global authority on vascular pathophysiology in the pregnancy complication of pre-eclampsia. “It sets the stage,” said Sandra Davidge, Distinguished University Professor in…
Blocking a process involving a protein called BAD might lead to an ability to stem cancer's spread
A team of University of Alberta researchers has identified an unexpected role for a protein known as BAD in the ability of cells to migrate in the body – a finding that has promising implications for understanding how breast cancer spreads. BAD, short for “BCL2 associated agonist of cell death,” has many roles in the…
Findings could help doctors plan and support treatment to give patients the best outcomes possible
Breast cancer patients who were in better physical condition completed more of their chemotherapy treatments, according to a University of Alberta study that gives physicians further guidance in individualizing treatments and preparing patients for the road ahead. “Clinicians often talk about patients being fit for chemotherapy, but no one ever had looked at actual physical fitness variables…
In 2015, University of Alberta cancer researcher Jack Tuszynski learned that his patent application for a promising chemotherapy treatment for people suffering from metastatic bladder cancer had been rejected by the U.S. Patent Office. “That was it. I thought, ‘We can’t proceed, we’re done, we spent almost a decade working on this and it’s a no go,’”…
