Innovation Anthology #496:

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T-cells are an important component of the body’s immune system. They attack and destroy cells infected with pathogens or that are cancerous.

But sometimes T-cells actually turn against the body.

As Dr. Troy Baldwin explains, these rogue T-cells are at the heart of auto-immune diseases like diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Baldwin is an Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Scholar at the University of Alberta.

DR. TROY BALDWIN: Instead of attacking cells that are infected with pathogens, viruses or bacteria, or cancerous cells, they actually target and destroy what is otherwise a normal healthy cell. So in the case of diabetes, for example, Type 1 diabetes, you’ll have T-cells that are specific for the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. And those T-cells will travel to the pancreas, they’ll find those insulin producing cells, and they’ll destroy them. And that is actually what leads to diabetes.

Dr. Baldwin is researching what happens when T-cells are formed in the thymus. What signals tell them T-cells which cells are healthy, which ones are bad, and why do these signals sometimes go awry?

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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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: 2012-09-13