Innovation Anthology #689:

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Treating oral cancer usually involves surgery which is not easy for the patient.

 

Now a group of scientists at the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute are experimenting with a promising alternative.

 

With funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, they are hitching tumour suppressing genes to viruses that kill cancer cells.

 

Dr. Karl Riabowol is a cancer biology

researcher and professor at the University of Calgary.

 

DR. KARL RIABOWOL:   We tend to try and use viruses that aren’t terribly complex but that you can also manage to put an extra genetic material into them.  So they have their usual genes that allow them to replicate.  We fiddle with them so they don’t replicate too much so they’re not too dangerous.  But we also put in some of these tumour suppressor genes, these genes that will either stop the cells from growing or ask them to commit suicide.  So if the cancer cell decides to kill itself, that’s good and over expressing some of these tumour suppressing genes can do that. 

 

Dr. Riabowol says the group is working on a salve or paste which would deliver the tumour suppressing treatment through the skin.

 

Thanks today to ALBERTA INNOVATES HEALTH SOLUTIONS

 

Learn more at InnovationAnthology.com

 

I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Guest

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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: 2015-05-14