Emerging research indicates that a variety of short (<200 bp) nucleic acids contain a wealth of biological and medically-important information.  Two attractive sources of short nucleic acid fragments include formalin fixed embedded tissues (FFPEs) and circulating nucleic acids (CNAs) in blood. The medical value of these tissues is often limited by researchers’ ability […]

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS) affects 1/4,000 newborns. People with this condition can have various medical problems, and approximately 30% develop psychiatric illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. A recent study explored parents’ experience of receiving a diagnosis of 22qDS for their child. Families identified an unmet need for information from their healthcare providers about […]

The high incidence of acute organ rejection following heart transplantation poses major problems for patients, clinicians, and the healthcare system. A major clinical challenge in this regard arises from the difficulty of accurately and efficiently diagnosing when organ rejection occurs. In Canada, the current approach to diagnosing acute rejection requires taking small pieces of the […]

The analysis of protein-protein interactions is critical for understanding cell growth control, and how aberrant connections contribute to cancer and other diseases. Mass spectrometry is a critical tool in this field, but sample complexity, instrument dynamic range and resolution limit some applications. This project will evaluate the use of the SelexION ion mobility device and […]

Modern molecular targeted therapies have shown promise in treating some blood cancers, but a cure remains elusive for most acute leukemia patients. This is largely due to the survival of some leukemic cells that possess unique properties and can cause treatment failure or relapse, warranting identification of new, distinct targets for improved therapies. In collaboration […]

Modern molecular targeted therapies have shown promise in treating some blood cancers, but a cure remains elusive for most acute leukemia patients. This is largely due to the survival of some leukemic cells that possess unique properties and can cause treatment failure or relapse, warranting identification of new, distinct targets for improved therapies. In collaboration […]

Proteinuric kidney diseases, such as lupus nephritis, affect approximately 1 in 10 individuals around the world. For many patients, it results in the progression to end-stage kidney disease, for which the only treatments available are dialysis and transplantation. Therefore, it is imperative to develop therapies that slow down or halt the progression of proteinuric kidney […]

As a primary cancer progresses to the deadliest form, metastatic cancer, the cells undergo several genetic and epigenetic alterations referred to as the metastatic gene signature. Part of a metastatic gene signature is the downregulation of genes associated with immune recognition, which can be seen in multiple cancer types as the down regulation of the […]

Blood cancer (leukemia) is common, with ~48,600 and 6,400 new cases expected in the United States and Canada respectively in 2016. The National Cancer Institute (US) calculated an overall 5-year survival rate of 56% for various blood cancers. This is because most current therapies are short-lived; drug resistance and relapse pose significant clinical problems. Life-long […]