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Bolstering fat cells offers new hope for treating blood cancer
November 6, 2017
Drs.
Mitchell Sabloff
and
David Allan
contributed to a new study led out of McMaster University that is providing hope for people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This kind of cancer grows in the bone marrow and inhibits the production of normal blood cells, often leading to anemia, infections and death.
The research team discovered that fat cells play a key role in normal blood regeneration, but this is disrupted in AML. They also transplanted human AML cells into mice and treated them with small molecules that boost bone marrow fat. This supressed the cancer and stimulated healthy blood regeneration at the same time. One of the molecules they tested is already being used in clinical trials for other conditions, providing hope that human AML trials could begin relatively quickly.
See
media release
or
Nature Cell Biology
for details. The Ottawa Hospital Leukemia Program is continuing to contribute to this and other translational research.
“This research was possible because people with cancer, including many patients at The Ottawa Hospital, agreed to donate their tissue for research,” said Drs. Sabloff and Allan, both hematologists and researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. “We are deeply grateful for their contributions.”
Authors:
Boyd AL, Reid JC, Salci KR, Aslostovar L, Benoit YD, Shapovalova Z, Nakanishi M, Porras DP, Almakadi M, Campbell CJV, Jackson MF, Ross CA, Foley R, Leber B, Allan DS, Sabloff M, Xenocostas A, Collins TJ, Bhatia M.
Funders:
All research at The Ottawa Hospital is supported by
generous donations to the hospital
. This study was also supported by the Canadian Cancer Society and the Marta and Owen Boris Foundation, as well as locally by The Ottawa Hospital Department of Medicine and the Joan Sealy Trust.
The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.
University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
Media Contact
Jennifer Ganton
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73325
Cell: 613-614-5253
jganton@ohri.ca