Innovation Anthology #715:

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We don’t know why, but Alberta has a higher incidence of inflammatory bowel disease than other parts of the world.  

And in recent years, there appears to be an increase in the number of children who are developing this disease,

Dr. Shairaz Baksh is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

DR. SHAIRAZ BAKSH:   We’re seeing a lot of cases of what’s called early onset IBD.  And actually they classify it as very early onset IBD, which is is usually at  age 6 or younger . So it is a problem and it’s now recognized as a pediatric disorder.  

Children with Inflammatory Bowel disease tend to miss a lot of school due to their illness, and their risk for developing cancer later is life is higher.

DR. SHAIRAZ BAKSH:  We know about one third of all cancers actually start from the state of chronic inflammation.  So for IBD patients, as an adult you have a 20-30 percent chance of getting colorectal cancer.  For younger kids there there is an increased chance of getting B-cell lymphomas,   A lot of our lab is focused on cancer prevention  And If you can control the inflammation  we may be able to prevent the increase in cancer that happens later in life

The standard therapy is steroids, but the research of Dr. Baksh indicates a drug already used for leukemia may also be successful with childhood inflammatory bowel disease.

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: 2015-09-15