U of A pharmacy researcher looks for ways to correct a common but often hidden type of diabetes-related heart failure
A University of Alberta laboratory has uncovered a new approach to preventing heart failure in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to research findings published recently in the journal Cell Reports. “We know people with diabetes take drugs for years to control their blood sugars, but the drugs don’t cure their diabetes,” said lead author John Ussher, associate…
Researchers are now looking to develop a drug that will boost existing statin drugs to prevent heart disease
A team of researchers at the University of Alberta has uncovered a long-sought link in the battle to control cholesterol and heart disease. The protein that interferes with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors that clear ‘bad’ cholesterol from the blood was identified in findings recently published in Nature Communications by Dawei Zhang, associate professor of pediatrics in the Faculty…
Marketing after legalization suggests most provinces are seeking to distance cannabis from existing alcohol and gaming brands
The provinces have been largely ambivalent to the sale of cannabis and even appear to employ a “demarketing” strategy, according to a University of Alberta look at the branding behind legalization that also showed flexible public policy can be beneficial in times of uncertainty. “Our initial expectation was that governments would be competing fairly effectively…
Researcher sees parallels in the challenges of developing antiviral drugs for respiratory infections caused by influenza and coronaviruses
A University of Alberta laboratory has uncovered the mechanism of action for a recently approved influenza drug in newly published research. The scientists discovered that the drug baloxavir marboxil binds highly efficiently to an enzyme that is key to how the influenza virus replicates inside an infected patient. They also showed how a mutation of…
Promising results in mice open door to new areas of research in treating patients
Researchers have found that limiting the amount of fat the body releases into the bloodstream from fat cells during heart failure could help improve outcomes for patients. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology, Jason Dyck, professor of pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and director of the University of Alberta’s Cardiovascular Research Centre, found…
Researchers have identified a new mechanism responsible for the buildup of plaque on artery walls
Glycomics researchers at the University of Alberta and CHU Sainte-Justine have reported a discovery that could lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease. The researchers identified a new mechanism responsible for the buildup of plaque on artery walls, a process known as atherosclerosis. This plaque, made up of fats, cholesterol and other substances, can restrict…
Annual fundraising effort to support clinical trial of precision drug developed at U of A
As 40 local hockey players brave the elements on an outdoor rink just outside Sherwood Park, Alberta for the World’s Longest Hockey Game, they’ll be making a difference in the lives of cancer patients in Edmonton. Over the course of more than 10 days and nights of non-stop shinny, the game, which began on Feb.…
Researchers hope to move toward earlier diagnosis and effective treatments
University of Alberta researchers have discovered a new method to identify the severity of Lou Gehrig’s disease in patients and track its progression. The U of A team, led by Sanjay Kalra, a professor in the Division of Neurology, has made progress toward an imaging biomarker for white-matter degeneration in the brains of ALS patients. They hope…
Vericiguat, which was shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure, passes final regulatory hurdle in the United States
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug vericiguat for use in patients with heart failure. The drug – a first-of-its-kind, once-daily oral treatment for patients with worsening chronic heart failure – was approved in part thanks to the VICTORIA (Vericiguat Global Study In Subjects With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) clinical study…
A focus on teamwork and patient needs has led to breakthroughs in the search for cancer therapies, antivirals and safer drugs
Khaled Barakat was stars-truck the first time he met Michael Houghton in 2012. He knew the U of A virologist and director of the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute was renowned for discovering the hepatitis C virus and was likely to win a Nobel Prize (which Houghton eventually did in 2020). Barakat, a PhD in biophysics, landed an…
A University of Alberta laboratory has uncovered a new approach to preventing heart failure in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to research findings published recently in the journal Cell Reports. “We know people with diabetes take drugs for years to control their blood sugars, but the drugs don’t cure their diabetes,” said lead author John Ussher, associate…
