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Rapid Diagnostic Testing

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SePTemBeR 2010 volume 14, number 5

R&D News ......................... 1 Appointments .................... 6 Pharma Notes.................... 7 New Products .................. 15 Calendar .......................... 17 Career Spotlight............... 18

univeRSiTy oF ToRonTo Team ConTRiBuTing To 2016 miSSion To maRS

NASA and the European Space Agency are jointly developing the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission for launch in 2016. This is an artist’s concept of the planned spacecraft, which will carry five science instruments plus a European entry, descent and landing demonstrator vehicle. The orbiter will also serve as a communications relay for Mars surface missions. Photo - ESA

Left: MATMOS (shown here at right in a schematic representation) will be housed on the upper of deck of the NASA-ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, slated for launch in 2016. Photo - JPL

An international team of scientists including several atmospheric and planetary researchers from the University of Toronto will develop an instrument to search for signs of life on Mars during the 2016 ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter NASA-European Space Agency mission.

The instrument, known as MATMOS (Mars Atmospheric Trace Molecule Occultation Spectrometer), will probe the atmosphere of Mars in search of biological sources of methane and signs of life.

“We are very excited to be part of this international team contributing to ExoMars,” said team member Barbara Sherwood Lollar of U of T’s Department of Geology. “MATMOS will build on the exciting reports of methane in the Mars atmosphere by investigating a suite of trace gases in the planet’s atmosphere that will help develop models of the planet’s geologic activity and address questions regarding any potential biogenic activity.”

MATMOS will help scientists attempt to solve the mystery of methane on Mars by confirming seasonal distribution patterns, and providing new interpretations of the origin of the gas on Mars. Methane was discovered on Mars in 2003 in greater abundance than expected. It is a possible biomarker for signs of life, since the gas is readily produced by biological activity.

Selected by NASA and the European Space Agency for launch onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter slated for launch in 2016, MATMOS is being developed in partnership between the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Sherwood Lollar, fellow U of T scientists Jonathan Abbatt of the Department of Chemistry and Kimberly Strong and Kaley Walker of the Department of Physics, along with Dalhousie University’s James Drummond, York University’s Jack McConnell and the University of Winnipeg’s Ed Cloutis, are contributing to the CSA’s effort.

New advaNces will further braiN research of diseases such as alzheimer’s aNd ParkiNsoN’s

The University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine scientists have been involved in the development of new techLabFocus.fisherbrand.Dec09.pdf 12/11/09 9:09:53 AMnology that monitors brain

cell activity at a resolution never achieved before. The University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, proved it is possible to cultivate a network of brain cells that reconnect on a silicon chip, or the brain on a microchip.

Developed with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the new silicon chips are also simpler to use, which will help future understandig

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Naweed Syed, PhD

of how brain cells work under normal conditions and permit drug discoveries for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The new technology from the lab of Naweed Syed, PhD, professor and head of the Deparment of Cell Biology and Anatomy, in collaboration with the NRC, is published online this month in the journal, Biomedical Microdevices.

“This technical breakthrough means we can track subtle changes in brain activity at the level of ion channels and synaptic potentials, which are also the most suitable target sites for drug development in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychological disorders,” said Syed, who is also a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and advisor to the vice president Research on Biomedical Engineering Initiative of the University of Calgary.

The new neurochips are also automated. It used to take years of training to learn how to record ion channel activity from brain cells, and it was only possible to monitor one or two cells simultaneously. Now, larger networks of cells can be placed on a chip and observed in minute detail, allowing the analysis of several brain cells networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions.

This new technology has the potential to help scientists in a variety of fields and on a variety of research projects. Gerald Zamponi, PhD, professor and head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary, says, “This technology can likely be scaled up such that it will become a novel tool for medium throughput drug screening, in addition to its usefulness for basic biomedical research.”

oNtario Pharmacists’ associatioN suPPorts goverNmeNt strategy to curb misuse of PrescriPtioN Narcotics

The Ontario Pharmacists’ Association (OPA) announces that it supports the Ontario government’s Narcotics Strategy, intended to ensure prescription narcotics are prescribed and used appropriately.

“Prescription narcotic diversion and abuse is a serious safety issue for all of us - from the pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who are trying to ensure patients have access to the medicines they need, to the communities that are harmed by diversion and abuse,” said Dennis Darby, chief executive officer of the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association. “We support the Ontario government in launching this important initiative, and will continue to play a key role in educating pharmacists and the public to ensure we’re doing our part.”

As the professional association representing Ontario’s 12,000 pharmacists, who are on the front lines of patient care, the OPA is aware of the risks and issues associated with prescription narcotic diversion and abuse. The association is developing a strategy to help address this issue, in a comprehensive and methodical manner. This strategy complements those of the provincial and federal governments, and of other health care provider groups.

As part of its strategy, the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association is participating in a multi-stakeholder approach to assist pharmacists and physicians in the implementation of the new clinical practice guidelines for prescribing opioids for non-chronic cancer pain.

BC FiRm DeveloPS PRoDuCTS To ConTRol algae anD BaCTeRia in waTeR, CRoPS anD FooD

EnvirEau Technologies’ has developed and is now marketing environmentally responsible and metallic zinc or silver, or combination of these minerals, to protect water, wastewater, food and disease control in crops. The company’s self-mixing compounds can control algae and bacteria in potable water reservoirs, odour and bacteria in waste treatment facilities, and disease in plants and foods. One of EnvirEau Technologies’ products also helps protect greenhouse and field crops and extends their shelf-life. EnvirEau was born after Frank Varseveld, president and chief executive officer, arranged the purchase of the intellectual property of another company and went to work on research and development in 2005. “We wanted to come up with a means of reducing the synthetic chemical pesticides in use today for controlling micro-organisms in water, soil and food,” said Varseveld, an engineer. “This is a global need, and we felt it was important to improve the sustainability of our planet.” Varseveld turned to the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRCIRAP) for help with the R&D phase of the company’s development. Thanks to the NRC-IRAP contribution EnvirEau received, the firm was able to conduct laboratory and field testing to improve the ionization of the minerals in its products. “IRAP’s contribution was really important to optimize the performance of the product, and to make it more valuable to the end user,” Varseveld says. “The NRC-IRAP industrial technology advisor that the company worked with also helped EnvirEau organize its projects.” The company’s products can replace synthetic chemical pesticides, fungicides, biocides and disinfectants, including chlorine. They don’t harm the people handling them, and have minimal side effects for the environment, said Varseveld. “Our goal is to be a global leader in this field,” Varseveld said. In addition to the largescale municipal uses that EnvirEau’s products are designed for, the company is also working on a simple application to add one of its products to water, designed for household use in developing nations. By controlling E. coli, cholera, and other water-based pathogens, the company hopes to save lives in under-developed countries and even in rural Canada, where poor water quality is an issue. “If you put a drop of Polydex concentrate into three litres of water and leave it to sit overnight, it will be safe to drink the following day,” Varseveld said. “It won’t be safe from all organisms, but the most common ones, including E. coli.” EnvirEau is currently testing that application in Africa.

newS noveko inTeRnaTional inC. announCeS new geneRaTion oF ulTRaSounD SCanneRS FoR Sale

Noveko International Inc. announces that its subsidiary S.A.S. E.C.M. (ECM) has achieved major breakthroughs with its new generation of ultrasound scanners, by signing an exclusive distribution agreement for the ImagyneTM ultrasound scanner (for human medicine) in the People’s Republic of China, as well as obtaining contracts for the marketing of the new ExagoTM ultrasound scanner (for veterinary medicine) in Canada and the U.S., all for an approximate value of $12 million over a three-year period.

As the result of a process begun over 18 months ago, ECM recently obtained authorization from the State Food and Drug Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SFDA) to sell its ImagyneTM ultrasound scanner in China, and consequently concluded an exclusive distribution agreement with Ningbo Xingaoyi Magnetism Co. Ltd (NXM), a leading Chinese high-tech firm specializing in the manufacturing of magnetic resonance equipment. ECM has also achieved major breakthroughs in the marketing of its ExagoTM scanners in the equine market in Canada and the U.S., having recently concluded with key players in North American veterinary medicine, contracts for a value of more than $4 million over a three-year period. “We are already positioning ourselves as a serious player in the equine ultrasonography market, which is a new market for us. The conclusion of this agreement reflects the growing interest in our technology since its launch. We are confident of pursuing this success in the coming quarters,” said Patrice Émery, president of ECM. The ExagoTM, a new generation portable scanner introduced on the market during the past quarter, is initially intended for veterinarians, mainly in the equine market. After obtaining the required approvals, it will also be intended for use in human medicine, notably for emergency, anaesthesia and army requirements.

fuNctioNal techNologies rePorts Positive results of Novel malaria treatmeNt trials

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Functional Technologies Corp. in cooperation with University of Toronto scientists, announce promising initial results of a revolutionary yeast-based approach for the treatment of malaria. In pre-clinical proof-of-concept tests involving four separate animal trials (mouse models), including one looking at uptake and three for potency, a positive effect against malaria was demonstrated using Functional Technologies’ specifically enhanced yeast. Importantly, no toxicity was reported, even at 100 times the effective dosage.

In this novel approach to malaria treatment, the yeast is used both to produce and deliver a protein that neutralizes malarial parasites. After the protein-laden yeast is ingested, the active proteins bind to the parasites in the bloodstream, rendering them benign. In sharp contrast to conventional and widely used chemical treatments that often pose significant side effects for the patient, Functional Technologies’ yeast application has not shown such side effects at the doses used in the preliminary mice studies.

In the aforementioned mouse trials, the anti-malarial protein was detectable in the bloodstream after oral administration; the company believes this indicates the potential for an orally-applied product. Oral dosing is generally considered the most costeffective, safe and convenient method available for treatment programs in impoverished countries.

Dr. Ian Crandall, a leading malaria researcher and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Toronto, working with Dr. Subrata Chowdhury, the company’s primary scientist on the project, directed the testing of the malaria-infected mice. Dr. Crandall commented: “As far as I am aware, this is a totally fresh approach to malaria treatment that is showing early and promising efficacy and safety. It presents a completely new area of study alongside the traditional ways in which malaria has been addressed through synthetic drugs. We may be onto something very exciting, and I look forward to being involved in the next phases of research.”

Garth Greenham, president and chief operating officer of Functional Technologies Corp., commented on the study: “Our purpose in releasing these proof-of-concept results is to make potential partners and collaborators aware of our malaria program, and help accelerate testing and development of this potentially safe, natural and cost-effective treatment.”

new STuDy inveSTigaTeS uSe oF Soy-RiCh DieT FoR PRevenTing ChRoniC Pain aFTeR BReaST CanCeR SuRgeRy

A study focusing on the benefits of soy in the prevention of chronic pain after breast cancer surgery, has been launched by researchers at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University.

“If we can demonstrate that a soy-rich pre-surgery diet, is both safe and effective for the prevention of chronic post-surgical pain, the clinical implications will be significant and could help many women around the world,” said Dr. Yoram Shir, principal investigator of the study and director of the MUHC Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, who is also a Professor of Anesthesia and Edwards chair in Clinical Pain at McGill University.

Chronic pain after breast cancer surgery is the most common cause for long-term morbidity in women diagnosed with breast cancer, with an incidence that can be higher than 50%. This pain can be resistant to treatment and last for years, burdening women with its physical, emotional and social consequences. This new National Institutes of Health-funded study will determine if a diet enriched with soy protein, consumed by women for two weeks prior to surgery could prevent the development of chronic pain.

“If shown to be efficacious, this would be a natural and safe preventive treatment that is easily incorporated into the everyday diet,” said Dr. Shir. Our daily diet can also be enriched with soy protein through shelf products like tofu and soy milk.

There is currently no proven effective method for the prevention of chronic postoperative pain,” said Dr. Shir. “Measures such as pain-relieving medications, commonly used to relieve acute pain after surgery, are largely ineffective in preventing acute post-surgical pain from becoming chronic.” Over 22,000 new cases of breast cancer in women are diagnosed each year in Canada and most will undergo surgery as part of their comprehensive cancer therapy.

royal society of caNada recogNizes sfu biologist

Bernard Crespi

Bernard Crespi, renowned globally for his experimental and theoretical contributions to evolutionary biology, is Simon Fraser University’s 40th scholar to be elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).

The RSC — founded by the Governor General of Canada, the Marquess of Lorne, in 1882 — has evolved from being a largely honourific society into one of the most prestigious academic organizations to elect Canadian scholars.

Crespi’s election to the RSC’s Academy of Science’s division of life sciences recognizes the SFU professor’s contributions to understanding the evolution of social behaviour in many fields of evolutionary biology.

An SFU Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research Group member, Crespi integrates genetic, ecological and evolutionary development research to study social evolution across all levels in the hierarchy of life from genes to the human brain.

Crespi’s research has led to fundamental new insights into how and when social cooperation and different reproductive strategies evolve, and how human evolutionary history has influenced the causes of diseases.

In the last two years, Crespi’s work has shaken the theoretical foundations of how mental disorders are understood. He has proposed and tested the hypothesis that autism and schizophrenia are opposite disorders, with risks directly influenced by changes to genes underlying human social evolution.

His analysis of all the genetic and genomic data available on both disorders has proven a mother’s genetic makeup is associated with schizophrenia, while a father’s predicts autism.

Crespi, who lives in Port Moody, has given more than 100 invited talks about his work, worldwide. He has published more than 100 articles in premier scientific journals, including four articles in Nature. He has served on the editorial boards of many of the top journals in his field.

Among his many awards are the Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize, a Killam Research Fellowship and the E.O. Wilson Award from the American Society of Naturalists for his contributions to evolutionary biology.

Crespi will be formally recognized as a new fellow of the RSC during the induction and awards ceremony on Nov. 27 in Ottawa.

Great People. Great Chemistry.

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