The accumulation of protein inclusions is linked to many neurodegenerative diseases that typically develop in older individuals, due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In rare familial neurodegenerative disorders, genes encoding for aggregation-prone proteins are often mutated. While the underlying mechanism leading to these diseases still remains to be fully elucidated, efforts in the past twenty years revealed…
Caspase-3 is a widely expressed member of a conserved family of proteins, generally recognized for their activated proteolytic roles in the execution of apoptosis in cells responding to specific extrinsic or intrinsic inducers of this mode of cell death. However, accumulating evidence indicates that caspase-3 also plays key roles in regulating the growth and homeostatic maintenance of both normal and…
Pancreatic islet transplantation has therapeutic potential in type 1 diabetes and is also an established therapy in chronic pancreatitis. However, the long-term transplant outcomes are modest. Identifying indicators of graft function will aid the preservation of transplanted islets and glycemic control. We analyzed beta cell prohormone peptide levels in a retrospective cohort of total pancreatectomy autologous islet transplant patients (n = 28).…
Dopamine modulation is thought to underpin some of the therapeutic effects associated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). However, patient studies have failed to demonstrate consistent changes in the dopamine system in vivo after a therapeutic course of rTMS. Here, we evaluated acute and chronic changes in striatal dopamine release elicited by a clinically relevant course of theta burst (TBS) or sham stimulation using…
Five new minor sesterterpenoids, ansellones H (4), I (5), J (6), and K (7) and phorone C (8), have been isolated from a Phorbas sp. marine sponge collected in British Columbia. Their structures have been elucidated by detailed analysis of NMR and MS data. Ansellone J (6) and phorone C (8) are potent in vitro HIV-1 latency reversal agents that are more potent than…
Animal models are frequently used as a preclinical step to studying cancers such as B-cell lymphomas. Although mouse models are often used, dog or “canine” models for B-cell lymphoma are important because they naturally have some genetic similarities to human B-cell lymphomas. In their most recent study, the Dr. Ryan Morin Lab highlights the different genomic features common in canine…
Read the Publication This week we profile a recent publication in Nature Communications from first author Dr. Leo (Zhengcheng) He (pictured, left) in the lab of Dr. Chris Maxwell (right) at BC Children’s Hospital and UBC. Can you provide a brief overview of your lab’s current research focus? My lab studies how cells grow and move in tissues and tumors…
Previous studies of aging have revealed intrinsically determined alterations in the properties of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and progenitor compartments in mice, with variable evidence of an extension of these findings to humans. To examine more closely the surface phenotypes within the CD34+ compartment of human blood and bone marrow from birth to old age, we undertook a 13-parameter phenotypic…
Why do women live longer than men? A new theory published in Aging Cell by Dr. Peter Lansdorp (pictured) implicates telomeres and embryonic telomerase levels. Read the Publication Can you briefly explain the significance of sex differences in telomere length? We have all heard of the fact that women, on average, live longer than men. Here is how I think…
Dr. Chris Carlsten's lab is dedicated to revealing the effects of environmental exposures on human respiratory and immunological health through controlled human exposure studies. They believe that understanding mechanisms helps to suggest preventive and therapeutic interventions.