chronic disease

This project proposes a new nanomedicine approach to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies in humans and mice have shown that inflammation in fat tissues and the pancreas is a major driving force for the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance and diabetes. A major limitation of current drugs is that they distribute over the entire body, exposing all cell types, while only a small amount reaches the desired target cells at disease sites, such as macrophages in inflamed tissues. This results in limited drug efficacy and unwanted side-effects.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a major global health burden and the rapid surge in pediatric cases in Canada over the past decade is raising alarm bells. Current pharmaceutical therapies are risky or ineffective, cost and health-wise, especially for long-term use and are associated with severe side effects. Therefore, new alternative therapies for IBD are needed urgently. Probiotic therapy, which is the ingestion of non-pathogenic microorganisms to provide health benefits, is considered a potential treatment option.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is lifelong, debilitating condition that afflicts one in every 150 Canadians. Worryingly, the number of people diagnosed with IBD is rising worldwide, including among new Canadians and children. There is currently no cure for IBD, so treatment options are limited to managing symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs.

Decision makers need to decide how to best allocate limited societal and healthcare resources to fund different healthcare services. Health economic evaluation is a tool commonly used to inform these types of funding decisions; however, which costs to consider in economic evaluation can have a significant impact on the resulting funding decision. A societal perspective considers costs within the formal healthcare sector (e.g., physician, hospital and drug costs) as well as costs outside the healthcare sector (e.g., work productivity costs of patients and their family caregivers).

Anemia is a condition in which there is a decrease or destruction of red blood cells causing inadequate transport of oxygen throughout the body. It is a major public health problem affecting ~25% of the global population, or ~9 million Canadians of all ages.

MSFHR is providing matching funds to support the research of Dr. Adeera Levin, as part of the Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD) Network, one of five national chronic disease networks established through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Networks in Chronic Disease, connecting researchers, health professionals, policy-makers, and patients across the country.

Each year, approximately 50,000 Canadians suffer a stroke—the number one cause of neurological disability leading to impaired balance and mobility. Almost 90 per cent of stroke survivors have difficulties with everyday tasks, a reduced tolerance for physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle and multiple secondary complications. Many of these complications can be reduced with rehabilitation.