Spotlight on Research
SickKids Research Institute has earned a reputation for excellence and scientific integrity. Our high expectations of success and contribution to society are reflected in the achievements of our scientists. Long-term collaborative projects undertaken at the Research Institute are highlighted here.
Arthur & Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre
The Arthur & Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre focuses on basic science research of human brain tumours, both in adults and children. Establishment of this interdisciplinary research and training centre was made possible by a $5 million dollar donation by Authur and Sonia Labatt. This research centre brings together scientists and clinicians to determine the molecular mechanisms of brain tumour formation for the development of novel therapies.
Breathe
The SickKids BREATHE Program was a five-year research program established in 2004. The goal of the SickKids Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Centre Breathe Program was to develop new tools and approaches targeting the basic defect in the most common CF-causing mutation: ∆F508-CFTR. The program had two foci. One group of researchers focused on therapy discovery: the identification or invention and characterization of novel therapeutic agents. The other group focused on the development of clinical tools to enable meaningful evaluation of the efficacy of CF therapies.
Cancer Genetics Program
The SickKids Cancer Genetics Program successfully combines clinical, research and educational activities to serve those with a family history of cancer. This highly specialized and interdisciplinary program assesses the cancer risk of patients and families and develops recommendations for long-term monitoring of high-risk individuals and families. They target novel developments in cancer biology for translation into clinical practice and provide clinical placement opportunities to train and educate genetic counseling students, residents and fellows in paediatric and medical oncology and genetics. They are currently developing avenues to enhance public education and awareness through the community, and provide information for institutional staff and the community.
Centre for the Study of Complex Childhood Diseases (CSCCD)
A state-of-the-art research facility that will enable whole body, physiological, pharmacological, neurological and nutritional metabolic translation research for complex childhood diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma, complex care situations, rare disease cohorts and transplants. The CSCCD includes the Paediatric Physiology Investigation Unit (PPIU), the Animal Physiology Investigation Unit (APIU), an analytical laboratory, a tissue repository and an imaging facility.
Demyelination of the Central Nervous System in Canadian Children
The Demyelination of the Central Nervous System in Canadian Children is a Canada-wide research study documenting the long-term outcomes of children diagnosed with clinically isolated demyelinating syndromes (CIS). This five year, project is taking place in 22 different Canadian hospitals and aims to determine the incidence of paediatric CIS, to determine the risk of multiple sclerosis in children with CIS and to delineate the early biological and MRI markers of MS and those features which distinguish monophasic CIS from MS.
Funtional Neuroimaging Centre (FNC)
The FNC provides neuroimaging technologies such as Magneto-encephalography (MEG), a dedicated research Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI),and Electroencephalographic measures (EEG, ERP). Their focus is to answer basic science and applied clinical questions about typical and atypical brain and cognitive development. The FNC is affiliated with the Neurosciences & Mental Health and Physiology & Experimental Medicine programs, and serves as a resource, training, and mentoring centre for clinical specialists, neuroscientists, imaging technologists, medical trainees and graduate students in the local and international scientific community.
Leukemia Research Group (LRG)
The Leukemia Research Group (LRG) includes scientists and clinician-scientists who are collaboratively implementing cross-disciplinary approaches to understand basic mechanisms underlying leukemia, how these mechanisms can be exploited to develop and test new therapies and examining the impact of current and novel therapies on the long-term outcomes for children with leukemia. One recent discovery made by LRG investigators is that some leukemia cells "turn on" a survival pathway despite lacking the normal "upstream" drivers of that pathway. They have found that highly specific inhibitors of this pathway, currently approved for clinical use in other immune system diseases, stop leukemia cell growth in the laboratory. These potential therapeutics are being tested in mice transplanted with patient leukemia cells, and if successful, their results will support applications for early stage clinical trials using these inhibitors in paediatric leukemia patients.
Lysosomal Storage Research Group
The Lysosomal Storage Research Group of Dr. Joe T.R. Clarke is a multidisciplinary team of specialists in various aspects of lysosomal storage diseases. Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a group of over 40 rare inborn errors of metabolism, usually characterized by deficiencies of a specific lysosomal enzyme which in turn leads to accumulation or storage of metabolites within the cells. The group's main focus is on clinical research and patient care, involving the translation and evaluation of new treatments for LSDs. This group website features pertinent information, interactive educational software for diagnosis and treatment of Hunter disease (Hunter disease eClinic) and a Lysosomal Storage Research community discussion board freely accessible to anyone with a registered account.
Paediatric Regenerative Medicine (PRM) program
The Paediatric Regenerative Medicine (PRM) program is cross-disciplinary in nature, and aims to better understand and facilitate regenerative medicine research discoveries into clinical practice. Their highly collaborative and synergistic approach brings together biomaterials science (scaffold), cellular biology (biocompatibility), molecular biology (angiogenesis) and developmental biology (recellurlarization) to yield profound improvements in clinical care for patients requiring tissue regeneration, transplantation and tissue reconstruction.