Media Newsletter

March edition, 2010

In this issue:

March is National Epilepsy Month
Implantable "smart" chip can anticipate and prevent epileptic seizures
Current CIHR-funded research: Dr. Berj L. Bardakjian and his team at the University of Toronto have developed an implantable "smart" microchip that can detect and prevent epileptic seizures. The new device offers hope for the millions of people with epilepsy who rely on drugs with limited efficacy and often serious side effects. The micro-scale device will be able to anticipate the onset of a seizure and provide a responsive intervention to stimulate electrical signals in the brain to prevent the seizure from occurring.
Did you know? Epilepsy is a debilitating neurological disorder that affects over 40 million people worldwide, and there are only limited therapies to control the violent seizures associated with this disease.

March is National Nutrition Month
Probiotics work—but do your homework first
Current CIHR-funded research: Do probiotics live up to their hype in promoting health and preventing disease? In short, "under some circumstances, yes", says Dr. Karen Madsen, a CIHR-funded researcher and probiotics expert at the University of Alberta. She cautions, however, that there are hundreds of probiotics products that are not regulated and have no clinical evidence to support their claims. "Do your homework," she says. "Look at the product labels, use live active bacteria from major brands and visit their websites to review clinical studies. Just like antibiotics, each probiotics strain has a different specificity so you need to pick the one that meets your particular needs."
Did you know? Probiotics, the live bacteria culture found in some yogurts, have been found to help strengthen the immune system, reduce the duration of a cold in children, reduce antibiotics-associated diarrhea and fight inflammatory bowel disease.

March is Help Fight Liver Disease Month
Genetic mutation puts First Nations children at high risk for liver disease
Current CIHR-funded research: Cirrhosis, a liver disease usually associated with older adults, is striking First Nations children in the Abitibi region of Quebec due to an unusual genetic mutation. Dr. Andrea Richter and her team at the University of Montreal have already shown that a mutation in the gene cirhin causes cirrhosis among First Nations children. "It's estimated that up to 10% of the First Nations population of the Abitibi region carry the mutation, putting their children at high risk of developing the disease. The current treatment for these children is liver transplantation. As part of our research we developed a molecular test for the mutation that has been adapted for use in the clinic. This allows for the identification of healthy gene carriers and genetic counselling of couples. It would also permit population screening, if desired by the communities. The inspiration for our studies of the function of the cirhin gene is to find new treatments for this serious and deadly disease of native children," she says. "An equally important goal of our research is to increase awareness of the disease in the region, both within the communities and among health professionals. We are seeking to develop, with the help and support of the communities, culturally sensitive counselling provided by certified genetic counsellors who collaborate with our research program."
Did you know? Fewer than half of First Nations children born with North American Indian childhood cirrhosis (NAIC) since 1970 are still alive.

March is Kidney Health Month
Quebec researcher devotes life's work to mending children's kidneys
CIHR-funded researcher: Dr. Paul Goodyer, a specialist in pediatric kidney medicine at Montreal Children's Hospital, is one of the world's best when it comes to mending flawed kidneys in children. He is part of an international team researching cystinosis, a rare, deadly metabolic and genetic disease that afflicts about 500 children and young adults in the U.S. and 2,000 worldwide. He's also leading a CIHR-funded project to see whether sluggish metabolism of vitamin A during pregnancy accounts for small kidneys in newborns—putting them at risk for hypertension and susceptibility to renal insufficiency later in life. He was recently awarded the Kidney Foundation of Canada's 2008 Medal for Research Excellence.

New diagnostic tool provides better prognosis for bone cancer patients
Published CIHR-funded research: Scientists at the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children have discovered a powerful new tool that can provide a more accurate prognosis for patients with bone cancer and help doctors better determine how aggressively they need to treat specific patients. Led by Dr. David Malkin, a senior scientist at SickKids, the team found that among patients with osteosarcoma, the presence of a specific genetic mutation found in some tumours results in poorer outcomes for patients. Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in children and adolescents. The study was published in a recent issue of Cancer Research.

Children experience more pain than necessary with hospital treatments
Current CIHR-funded study: Children and infants, it seems, are suffering pain needlessly during treatments such as heel lances, intravenous starts and needles carried out at hospitals in Canada. It's a situation a CIHR-funded research team is working to change. Led by Dr. Bonnie Stevens at the Hospital for Sick Children, researchers from nursing, medicine, physiology and pharmacy are working with pediatric hospitals across the country to put into practice proven methods for reducing pain. "Acute pain management in pediatric clinical settings is suboptimal in Canada," she says. "By effectively translating research into clinical pain management practice, we hope to decrease acute pain and suffering in hospitalized children."
Did you know? Surveys of hospitalized children indicate that at least 50% reported moderate to severe pain in the previous 24 hours, only 20% had a pain assessment and 50% received pain relief treatment.

Which research should you believe?
Can homeopathic medicines help relieve side-effects of cancer therapy?
About a third of patients with cancer use homeopathic medicines to try to reduce the unpleasant side effects of drugs and radiotherapy, such as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, dermatitis, and menopausal symptoms. But despite this widespread use, there is very little evidence to suggest they work, concludes a review of randomized controlled trials by the Cochrane Collaboration. Its review of eight studies involving 664 participants found some relief for skin irritation caused by radiotherapy and from mouth sores caused by chemotherapy. Overall, however, the Cochrane team found very little research on the safety and efficacy of homeopathic therapies and concluded that more research in this area is required. Click here for a podcast by the author of this review. CIHR is a partner in the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre.

Upcoming Events

March: Quench your scientific thirst
CIHR is helping to make the latest health and science research accessible to the general public. Café Scientifiques bring together researchers and the general public in informal venues (such as restaurants, pubs or cafés) for an evening of lively and informative discussion. CIHR and some of its Institutes have already hosted Cafés dealing with health subjects such as obesity, healthy aging, mental health in the workplace, Edmonton housing, the positives and negatives of personalized medicine, the hazards of urban living, and the effects of air pollution on citizens in Toronto.

A Heartfelt Sadness
What is the connection between depression and heart disease?
March 2, 2010, Mezzo Ristorante and Lounge
Windsor, Ontario

I'm Just a Bit Stressed, That's All...
Drawing the Link Between Stress and Mental Illness
March 24, 2010, Bottlescrew Bill's Old English Pub
Calgary, Alberta

For more information, please visit the CIHR Café Scientifique website.

For more information on any of the above story leads, please contact:
David Coulombe
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Phone: 613-941-4563
Cell: 613-808-7526
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca