Innovation Anthology #557:

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When is exercise good for a person and when is it causing harm, leading to osteo arthritis?

That’s a question Dr. Ziad Abu Sara at the University of Calgary hopes to answer.

By observing knee joints in action, his team has discovered that cells called chondrocytes function differently during exercise like running and walking.

DR. ZIAD ABU SARA: In our experiments we saw that a cell loses up to 25 percent of its volume instantaneously. but it takes minutes to recover. We thought, where does this fluid go?. Because most of what the cell loses is the fluid. then we look at the synovial fluid, and we saw that the protein in the synovial fluid increases as a function of the exercise. And actually this appears after awhile. As I said, our cell experiment suggests that these changes are mediated by the active release of substances coming from the cells.

Dr Abu Sara says now he can look for biomarkers that indicate the progression of osteo arthritis. Also, which exercises can prevent joint problems.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Learn more at InnovationAnthology.com

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: 2013-05-14