Congratulations to Dr. Florian Kuchenbauer for receiving a grant for his work entitled “Exploring APOBECs as therapeutic vulnerabilities in multiple myeloma” and Dr. Kevin Hay on his work entitled “Chimeric antigen receptor T cells secreting IL-12 and anti-IL-6 to enhance responses in multiple myeloma.” The goal of these grants is to foster and support state-of-the-art investigator-initiated translational research that will…
Congratulations to Louis-Alexandre Fournier (Stirling Lab) who has been awarded a CIHR Doctoral Award (Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship) for his project entitled “Investigating the role of ARID1A loss in cancer and its effects on R-loop accumulation and genome instability”. The Frederick Banting & Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral Awards (CGSD) program provides special recognition and support…
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common pediatric brain tumour and usually affects children and infants under 10 years old. Current treatment for MB involves aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, which can lead to harmful long-term side effects, including cognitive impairment, endocrine disorders and an increased risk of secondary cancers later in life. At BC Children’s Hospital, clinicians treat about four or…
Proteins known as lectins can bind to the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent it from accessing human cells, an international team of researchers led by the University of British Columbia’s Dr. Josef Penninger has demonstrated. They have captured the action on the pathogen’s spike protein via video. “Lectins are proteins that can bind the sugar molecule structure…
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive cancer that manifests in the bone marrow and affects the production of blood cells. The rapid progression of the disease, combined with the large degree of heterogeneity between AML patients, complicates individualized treatment planning. In a new study published in Nature Communications, led by GSC Distinguished Scientist Dr. Aly Karsan, researchers used the power of…
Congratulations to Dr. Hugh Kim for receiving a NCOHR New Frontier Seed Grant! Dr. Kim brought together a team of researchers from UBC, the University of Toronto, and the Canadian Blood Services to collaborate on the project “Deciphering the molecular links between periodontitis and ischemic cardiovascular disease” and obtained a $40,000 grant. Co-investigators include CBR Principal Investigator and Canadian Blood Services scientist Dr. Ed Pryzdial, Postdoctoral…
UBC researchers are the first in the world to publish structural images of the N501Y mutation on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein—a change believed to be partly responsible for the highly infectious nature and rapid spread of variant B.1.1.7. The pictures, taken at near-atomic resolution, provide critical insight as to why the B.1.1.7 variant—first detected in the U.K and now accounting…
New research at UBC is allowing a whole new look at a devastating disease that affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Brain cells are being grown in a lab to try and better understand the progression of Alzheimer’s, and hopefully pave the way for new treatments. The number of people living with the neurodegenerative disease, which destroys brain cells and…
It may seem like an unusual place to go looking for answers, but the contents of a baby’s first diaper can reveal a lot about a newborn’s future health. In a new study published today in Cell Reports Medicine, a team of University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers has shown that the composition of a baby’s first poop—a thick, dark green…
