Innovation Anthology #428:

Download MP3 Link

Platinum based drugs kill cancer cells. But they also cause serious side effects. These include permanent hearing loss, kidney damage, and brain toxicity.

Dr. Jurgen Gailer is teaches biochemistry at the University of Calgary.

With funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, his team is researching the chemistry behind the toxic side effects.

DR JURGEN GAILER: We have developed over the last couple of years a method that allows us to determine the distribution of metal compounds in blood plasma. And so we have published a paper earlier this year where we took just blood plasma from a healthy person, we added the cisplatin, for instance, and then with our method we can gain insight into the hydrolysis of this drug as well as the plasma protein binding. And in the context of this grant that we got, we will basically duplicate this. But this time round we will use blood plasma from cancer patients. And so, this is very important because the concentrations of certain blood plasma proteins are very different from healthy people.

Dr. Gailer says this will help develop treatments to counter the side effects of platinum based cancer drugs.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Guest

,

, , , ,

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

 

 

Program Date: 2011-09-29