news 2024

Preclinical study suggests the compound could restore lost muscle for patients with the rare degenerative disorder A novel drug holds promise for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare genetic disorder that causes severe muscle degeneration. McGill researchers have discovered that an experimental compound called K884 can boost the natural repair abilities of muscle stem cells.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo analyzed data from nearly 500,000 Canadian patients who lived in nursing homes across Canada between 2000 and 2022. It found that residents who were given antipsychotic medications showed a significant worsening of their behaviours. In fact, nearly 68 per cent of residents who used antipsychotics had more problems with their behaviour during follow-up checks.

An affordable and effective nutritional approach to help reduce inflammation and prevent Type 2 diabetes. The team led by May Faraj, Professor of Nutrition at Université de Montréal and Director of the Nutrition, Lipoproteins and Cardiometabolic Diseases Research Unit at the Montréal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), sheds new light on the role of marine-source omega-3 supplementation in treating adipose tissue inflammation and reducing the risk for cardiometabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

The next time you need to take a prescription drug, taking it might be as easy as putting on a contact lens, thanks to a new discovery made by University of Waterloo researchers. The team of researchers - which spans Waterloo's Department of Chemistry and its School of Optometry and Vision Science - created a new type of hydrogel that can deliver drugs to patients with various eye issues when 3D printed onto a contact lens.

First-of-its-kind Canadian study found 10 Ontario children died of an opioid-related cause between 2017 and 2021 A new study from Western researchers in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario highlights the scope of opioid-related deaths in young children in Ontario, while providing a clearer picture of the risk factors.

Western researchers are taking a unique global approach to finding an effective treatment for people living with long COVID. Led by Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor Douglas Fraser, the projects represent the first multi-continental research conducted on long COVID, with study sites in Africa and North and South Americas.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo have developed a new technology that can hold an entire course of antibiotics in one tiny dose and deliver on demand just the right amount of medication that a particular patient needs to fight an infection. This breakthrough in targeted medicine is the result of two new studies that tested this drug-delivery system on two bacterial strains that negatively affect millions of people worldwide.

People with opioid use disorder in British Columbia who received methadone had a 37-40 per cent lower rate of treatment discontinuation compared with those who received buprenorphine/naloxone. The new research, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association , evaluated the risk of treatment discontinuation and mortality in people prescribed opioid agonist treatment (OAT) over a 10-year period.

Water pipeline leaks were a big issue in Calgary this past summer , plunging the entire city into two extended periods of water-use restrictions after a mainline suffered a major break in June.

A novel drug molecule could potentially lead to new treatments to prevent Parkinson's disease in younger patients, according to new research. "We are excited about this drug compound because we might have the possibility to develop the first cure for Parkinson's disease, at least for a subset of patients," said lead author  Kalle Gehring , a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Structural Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Mathieu Ferron's work sheds light on the cellular mechanisms of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 1.2 million Quebecers.

Findings show pharmacists could fill gap in care for people with atrial fibrillation who are at high risk of stroke Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is the most common heart rhythm disorder encountered in clinical practice according to Dr. Roopinder Sandhu, MD, MPH, and the leading cause of stroke in older individuals.

McGill-led research team may have discovered neurological mechanism underlying common eating disorder A McGill University-led research team working in collaboration with a French team (CNRS, INSERM and Sorbonne university) believes it has identified both the neurological mechanism underlying anorexia nervosa as well as a possible cure.

Underrepresented populations have been historically excluded from clinical trials including women, racial and ethnic minority groups, and pregnant, lactating, pediatric and geriatric populations. While the importance of including these groups in clinical trials are slowly being recognized and remedied, there are still questions in how currently prescribed drugs affect these populations, including the safety and efficacy of the medications.

Underrepresented populations have been historically excluded from clinical trials including women, racial and ethnic minority groups, and pregnant, lactating, pediatric and geriatric populations.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 55 million people worldwide. Currently, the two main approaches for treatments to delay or slow its progression target the buildup of amyloid beta peptides - which form plaques in the spaces between nerve cells in the brain - and the buildup of tau protein, resulting in tangles which damage neurons.

A decade of discovery: how Arnie Charbonneau's generosity sparked momentum and transformed cancer research in Canada A decade after the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute was founded, cutting-edge research discoveries are improving the lives of cancer patients. A candid conversation at a restaurant near the Tom Baker Cancer Centre led to a gift that altered the trajectory of cancer research in Calgary, with impacts across Canada and around the globe.

Canada likely to miss WHO's Hepatitis C elimination target, research shows. Canada will not reach the original World Health Organization's (WHO) target of eliminating the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030 and lags in comparison to other developed countries, a new study led by researchers at the University of Waterloo has found.

Waterloo student uses mathematical modelling to bring awareness to opioid-related death reduction method Nasal-administered naloxone is more cost-effective and could help reduce the number of opioid-related fatalities compared to the current publicly funded intermuscular version, a new study has found.

UCalgary study finds certain medications decrease diversity and beneficial microorganisms found in the gut, which may affect overall health Our intestines house trillions of microorganisms known as the gut microbiota. These microorganisms are important players in both drug metabolism and certain conditions like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and diabetes.