The use of medication in modern medicine has revolutionized healthcare and made a significant impact on patient longevity and quality of life. Unfortunately, many medications can also cause unintended side effects – also known as adverse drug reactions (ADRs). In an effort to reduce severe ADRs in Canada, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Children’s…
Transfusion practice plays a vital role in medicine and many doctors routinely face patients requiring blood products. However, transfusion is not covered in depth in medical schools across Canada. Residents and physicians whose specialty is not hematology, are often left out of the loop when decisions are made about transfusing a patient. To bridge this critical gap in knowledge, a…
Zymeworks Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation bispecific and multifunctional biotherapeutics, initially focused on the treatment of cancer, and Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (“Daiichi Sankyo”) today announced the successful achievement of a research milestone for an immuno-oncology bispecific antibody therapeutic candidate in their collaboration. In conjunction with this milestone achievement, Zymeworks is…
The Best of the AACR Journals collection 2016 highlights the most-cited articles published in 2015 across the AACR journals. Three VPC scientists, Drs Chi, Collins & Gleave, are included in this prestigious group for their articles “Androgen Receptor Gene Aberrations in Circulating Cell-Free DNA: Biomarkers of Therapeutic Resistance in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer” in Clinical Cancer Research (Chi and Collins) and “Anticancer Activity of a…
The formation of blood clots is mediated by an intricate and dynamic interplay between platelets, blood clotting proteins, and small molecules. While rapid clot formation is essential for stopping blood loss at wound sites, uncontrolled blood clotting can evolve into thrombosis, causing organ failure and even death if left untreated. In order to better understand the underlying complex biochemistry of…
Zucara Therapeutics Inc., a pre-clinical life sciences company advancing a novel long-term therapeutic approach to prevent hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes, is pleased to announce that Dr. Claude Piché has joined its Board of Directors. As Co-Founder, President and CEO of Locemia Solutions, Dr. Piché led the company from start up through to completion of phase III clinical studies, ultimately…
InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of novel, cannabinoid-based drug therapies, is pleased to announce it has entered into a research and development collaboration with ATERA SAS of France, a leading tissue engineering company specializing in the development of advanced human tissue models. Under the terms of the agreement, ATERA will develop 3D human skin models of…
The news of a breakthrough cancer treatment that reprograms a patient’s DNA has refocused attention on similar research being done in B.C. 12 year old Emily Whitehead is alive today because of experimental cancer treatment that put her leukemia into remission when nothing else could. It’s called CAR-T therapy developed in the United States. Now the BC Cancer Agency is…
Alexander G. Beristain is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. He received his Ph.D. (Reproductive and Developmental Sciences) from UBC Dept of OBGYN in 2007, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Rama Khokha at the Ontario Cancer Institute in 2012. He holds a New Investigator research grant from Sick Kids Foundation and John R Evans Leaders…
The Michael Smith Laboratories is delighted to announce the newly appointed Professor Peter Zandstra as its Director. Zandstra is a pioneer in the field of stem cell bioengineering, applying engineering principles to stem cell biology. His research group aims to understand the complex communication networks between stem cells and their progeny and how they affect self-renewal and differentiation. Zandstra’s research…