The major focus of this proposal is to perform preclinical studies to support clinical development of a novel inhibitor for treatment of different caners such as breast, lung, colorectal and kidney. We have recently developed a novel therapeutic protein that selectively inhibits multiple pathways for treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

The bedsore or pressure ulcer is a serious health problem that affects many individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). These ulcers mostly develop on skin that covers bony prominences of the body, such as the hips and tailbone. Pressure ulcers are often very difficult to treat and not only negatively affect patients’ health, but also have profound impact on their quality of life. This speaks to the need for finding more effective treatment methods to address this problem. Our aim in this research project is to find a novel method to improve the healing of pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcers are among the top five leading causes of re-hospitalization in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Unfortunately, current conventional prevention and treatment methods have neither decreased the prevalence of these ulcers nor significantly improved their outcomes. To address this difficulty, here, we will test the efficacy of our new liquid skin substitute to fill up the non-healing wounds where the skin solidified and promotes the healing process. Our plan in a pilot study is to treat 12 patients who pressure non-healing wounds did not heal in the previous 3 months.

Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and rehospitalization in older adults, yet the majority of HF-related readmissions are preventable if patients can manage their treatment at home. One method to help patients who require extra assistance in following their treatment is through mHealth applications. However, these applications are not usable for many older patients due to their complicated design.

In the health technology assessment (HTA) process, cost- effectiveness analysis gets more attention, however over last decade, the budget impact analysis (BIA) has certainly become more important to the subsequent steps, including the adoption decision. The first Canadian BIA Guidelines was published by Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) in 2007. According to the results of a recent survey with regards to validate the practicality of the guidelines for policy makers, an update was recommended in order to reflect the changes that have occurred in the pharmaceutical industry.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest form of human brain tumors, systematically recurring despite multimodal treatment. As a consequence, the average patient survival is less than 15 months, and is thought to be linked with the presence of brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) that are implicated in treatment resistance. GBM BTSCs are radiotherapy and chemotherapy resistant, and BTSCs escaping treatment may explain tumor relapse. In the current era of precision medicine, targeted radiotherapy constitutes an attractive strategy for treating intractable disease.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are an unusual type of blood cell that is able to potently turn off immune responses. These cells are not normally present in healthy individuals, when a tumour is present, MDSC can block clearance of the tumour by the body’s immune defenses. A better understanding of how MDSC shut down tumour clearance would greatly improve the success of cancer treatments. Unfortunately, MDSC are difficult for scientists to study because there is currently no effective method to isolate them in pure form.

Enzymes play an essential role in the animal nutrition industry and are used to increase the nutritional value of feedstuff, resulting in improved production cost, feed efficiency, and animal performance. Many manufacturers choose to pelleting feed, for reasons such as increased feed intake and feed efficiency. However, many enzymes become deactivated when exposed to the high temperatures used during the pelleting process, and the feed will no longer provide benefits to the animal. There is a need to identify enzyme products that can withstand temperatures used during the pelleting process.

The role of companion animals has evolved over the years of their domestication from that of purely utilitarian hunting or working partnerships to a relationship now more closely resembling that of a family member. Unsurprisingly, trends in companion animal nutrition have begun to closely shadow trends in human nutrition, reflecting the desire of pet owners to feed their companions diets which they consider healthy and beneficial for their pets’ wellbeing.

Given the increased risk to fatigue in fire zone dispatchers working in wildland fire settings, and the lack of scientific literature about this topic, the purpose of this study is to create evidence-based knowledge translation tools to help address and reduce the risks for cognitive fatigue and poor decision making in wildland firefighting settings. These materials will be originated based on an onsite investigation to further understand the complex relationship and mechanisms of fatigue in coordinator staff during a typical fire season.