The appearance of multidrug resistance of pathogens is challenging the researcher and industrial communities to develop more efficacious antimicrobial treatments. Blue-O Technology Incorporation (Blue-O Tech) has developed a novel formulation of medicine that accelerates the wound healing, while having an excellent antimicrobial strength over a broad spectrum of pathogens. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the cytotoxic effects, […]

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease affecting over 80% of the human population above 75 years old and burdening health organizations worldwide. Osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive joint degeneration resulting in chronic pain and loss of joint function. Currently there is no cure for osteoarthritis; available treatments are only symptomatic targeting pain […]

Decision-making frameworks for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) have become a major topic in developed nations in recent years. Indeed, the quest for more rational and transparent HTA decision led many jurisdictions to investigate the use of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) as an alternative decision-making framework. In Canada, the development of a MCDA framework for HTA […]

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a chemical found naturally in the brain that plays a key role in the mammalian stress response. CRF is also known to be involved in anxiety and mood disorders, as well as in various aspects of drug dependence, including long-term relapse to drug use. The teneurin C-terminal associated peptides (TCAP) comprise […]

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds which give fruits and vegetables their bright colours. Habitual consumption of dietary flavonoids reduces the risk for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. Pre-clinical studies performed using animal models for these disorders have convincingly demonstrated that flavonoids not only halt the pathological processes which cause neurodegeneration but […]

Pharmaceutical platform technology (PPT) was invented by Sinoveda Inc., the partner organization, to accomplish the tasks of identification, purification, and activity determination for the active ingredients of natural herbal remedies, with the goal of developing and optimizing the remedies. However, two issues remain to be tackled in the PPT process: first, there is as yet […]

There is an increasing number and variety of calcium supplements being made available to the Canadian public, often making claims regarding improved action over competitor products. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of drugs and nutraceuticals upon bone health, particularly if they contain elements (such as calcium) which incorporate into newly […]

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and has been associated with increased lipids (fat) in the blood (hyperlipidemia). Our research focuses on regulation of blood lipid levels by controlling both intestinal and liver fat (lipid/lipoprotein) metabolism. We have previously shown in our laboratory that a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) can […]

The Sorensen laboratory-based Childhood Cancer Research Program is specifically focused on elucidating the genetic and biological determinants of the metastatic process in childhood cancer. Metastatic disease remains the single most dominant driver of adverse outcome in most childhood cancers, particularly in childhood sarcomas. Cancer stem cells, malignant cells that share many characteristics with normal stem […]

Aging is a complex, time-dependent process caused by decreased ability of the body to respond to environmental stress. In the case of skin aging, most of the associated changes are the result of sun exposure or ‘photoaging’. As the average age of the western population increases, there has been a substantial increase in interest in […]

Health economic evaluation compares the associated costs and the clinical outcomes of multiple treatment alternatives and is presently used by payers as one of the many types of evidence to inform which drugs to fund. Given existing health-care budgetary constraints, payers are increasingly interested in knowing whether a new health technology will provide value (i.e. […]

Cancer cells can travel to distant sites through the lymphatic system; this system is similar to a network of pipes within the body that carries fluids and cells to all organs. The metastatic spread of cancer cells through this network is one of the reasons why this disease is so difficult to stop. We are […]