Approximately 12,200 Canadians are hospitalized with seasonal influenza virus annually, posing a mounting public health issue that has become the epicentre of community-based vaccination campaigns. However, this public health issue has become exacerbated by the recent emergence of literature investigating the association between influenza infection and myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack. In other words, does contracting the flu make one more likely to experience a heart attack? Continue Reading >>
Medicine by Design, a group of regenerative medicine and cell therapy researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T), hosted its 3rd annual symposium at the MaRS Discovery District Auditorium on December 4th, 2018. Twelve researchers from local and international institutions presented their research on muscle, gene, neural, and immune engineering. Continue Reading >>
Integrin signalling mediates several intercellular events in order to maintain hemostasis, including platelet adhesion and aggregation during the process of coagulation. Evolutionary pressures have directed the mechanisms which underpin coagulation to develop in a highly-regulated way, as both hypo- and hyper-coagulable states are incompatible with life. This review focuses on our current understanding of the “inside-out” and “outside-in” signalling events that mediate integrin activation and suppression in order to allow for appropriate aggregation of platelets following vascular trauma. Continue Reading >>
The human gut microbiota comprises trillions of microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal system and interact extensively with the host. The diversity and stability of the gut microbiota have been linked to not only intestinal health but also brain function. Recent studies suggest that the gut microbiota communicates with the brain through a variety of mechanisms, in what is termed the “gut-brain axis.” Continue Reading >>
Oncolytic adenovirus is a frequently used viral vector for gene therapy in cancer treatments. However, they are highly susceptible to liver-drainage or rejection by the immune system upon injection. This leads to an inadequate gene-delivery to the target tumor or unnecessary delivery to healthy tissues, causing necrosis in different organs. This not only decreases the effectiveness of the therapy but also creates additional damages that may lead to severe side effects, outweighing the benefit of the treatment. In order to efficiently deliver the viral vector to the target tumor and tumor tissue only, the adenovirus is inserted into microbubbles. Continue Reading >>
The purpose of this study is to recommend improvements for research methodology and statistics training resources specifically designed for medical imaging residents, fellows, and faculty. Continue Reading >>