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Canadian-led project saves lives in Somalia through innovative solar-powered oxygen system
On Feb. 5, minutes after she gave birth to her eighth child at the Hanaano General Hospital in Dusamareb, Somalia, 37-year-old Zahra’s heart sank. Her doctor explained her baby had birth asphyxia, which meant she was having difficulties in breathing. She had an oxygen rate of less than 40 per cent, compared with the required levels of 90 per cent or above.
“I cried and was worried when I saw my child very ill,” said Zahra. “I believed she would die.”
Immediately, the baby was admitted to the maternity ward, where doctors rushed to offer her medical oxygen using one of the three solar-powered oxygen machines that had just been installed at the hospital.
Scientists identify receptor in cells that could be key to preventing cancer drug-induced hearing loss
University of Alberta scientists have identified a receptor in cells that could be key to preventing permanent hearing loss in childhood cancer survivors who are being treated with the drug cisplatin. The researchers believe by inhibiting the receptor, they may be able to eliminate toxic side-effects from the drug that cause the hearing loss.
Cisplatin is an incredibly effective chemotherapeutic when it comes to treating solid tumors in children, contributing to an 80 per cent overall survival rate over five years, according to U of A researcher Amit Bhavsar, an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology. The problem has always been with the side-effects. Nearly 100 per cent of patients who receive higher doses of cisplatin show some degree of permanent hearing loss. The ability to prevent this side-effect would dramatically improve the quality of l
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IMAGE: University of Alberta researcher Amit Bhavsar is leading a team that has identified a receptor in cells that could be key to preventing permanent hearing loss in childhood cancer survivors. view more
Credit: William Au
University of Alberta scientists have identified a receptor in cells that could be key to preventing permanent hearing loss in childhood cancer survivors who are being treated with the drug cisplatin. The researchers believe by inhibiting the receptor, they may be able to eliminate toxic side-effects from the drug that cause the hearing loss.
Cisplatin is an incredibly effective chemotherapeutic when it comes to treating solid tumours in children, contributing to an 80 per cent overall survival rate over five years, according to U of A researcher Amit Bhavsar, an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology. The problem has always been with the side-effects. Nearly 100 per cent of patients who receive higher
Micorscope is used by researcher who use her hands holding and adjusting while science research in laboratory
Researchers at University of Alberta have uncovered a link between the expression of the protein galectin-9 (gal-9) and whether a cancer patient will benefit from immunotherapy.
The discovery could help inform physicians about which patients will likely respond to immunotherapy, and lead to better treatment options.
Shokrollah Elahi, a member of the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), collaborated with oncology professor John Walker on Phase 2 clinical trial that examined 40 patients with virus-associated solid tumours (VASTs) who were put on immunotherapy.
They found there was a direct link between patients with high levels of gal-9 and those who had a poor prognosis and did not respond to immunotherapy. Further, patients with lower levels of gal-9 responded better to treatment.