Innovation Anthology #505:

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Everyday people die in hospital because of sepsis. Currently there’s very little to stop this immune response to severe infection that shuts down the body’s organs.

But a new discovery by University of Calgary researcher Dr. Bryan Yipp may one day pave the way for a treatment.

That’s based the surprising function of immune cells called “neutrophils”

DR. BRYAN YIPP: What we found is that these neutrophils have a very interesting way of getting rid of bacteria where they use the DNA within their nucleus. They explode it out of the cell in a big net to capture bacteria. Nobody thought that a cell could live without a nucleus, And nobody thought the cell could actually get it out without killing itself. So this was thought to be what was called beneficial suicide. But what we discovered is, in fact, in severe infections, these neutrophils can do this process, but they continue to function perfectly well. They can continue to crawl around tissue, get bacteria. imprison the bacteria within the cell. And all of this would not be possible if the cells were dead.

According to Dr. Yipp, too many neutrophil nets can be toxic to the body. And his next step is to research the right balance of nets to manage sepsis.

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: 2012-10-16