Research profiles - A swelling problem
When human tissues are damaged, whether by injury, infection or disease, inflammation results. Redness, swelling, heat and pain are all signs that the body is trying to repair the damage.
Dr. Jane Aubin
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
Inflammation can be unpleasant, no question. The redness, swelling, heat and pain cause discomfort at best, true distress at their worst. But most people can be reassured by the fact that the inflammation is a positive sign of their body repairing damage – and by the knowledge that the inflammation will pass.
Problems arise, however, when inflammation goes wrong. When this happens, rather than repairing damaged tissue, inflammation causes significant and ongoing pain and contributes to a plethora of disorders, including asthma, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases and some cancers. There is also growing evidence that low-grade inflammation contributes to many, if not all, of the chronic diseases that are becoming increasingly costly, both on a personal and societal basis.
Canada has notable strengths in inflammation-related research, some of which are highlighted in this month's research profiles. Today, our greatest challenge is to break down the silos that keep researchers on inflammation in specific disease areas from working together more closely, focusing on the similar role that inflammation plays in so many of these areas. CIHR and the CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis is committed to encouraging researchers to examine aspects of inflammation that are common to so many of the diseases and conditions that affect Canadians.
In this month's research profiles, you will read about four fascinating researchers whose work covers a tremendously wide gamut. Kathy Siminovitch is looking for a way to fight inflammatory auto-immune diseases, specifically rheumatoid arthritis, by finding the genes responsible for the disease. Paul Kubes has developed innovative new imaging techniques that let him watch inflammatory cells react to pathogens in real time. Rama Khokha is investigating the somewhat contradictory effects inflammation can have in cancer. And Jan Dutz is developing new and better strategies for immunization. Disparate topics, yes, but what all these researchers have in common is that inflammation plays a starring role in their work.
These researchers and their colleagues across the country are together answering key questions about inflammation: Are there ways to intervene, either physically or pharmacologically, in the inflammatory process? Are there common markers for inflammation, markers that could be used to predict its progress and intervene to stop it? Are there novel imaging strategies that can monitor and measure the progress of inflammation and its response to treatment? What kind of role can physical activity and nutrition play in controlling inflammation?
Answering these questions will result in significant benefits for Canadians and could contribute to the development of a Canadian strategy to prevent chronic disease by ameliorating inflammation.
Jane Aubin
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
