During the production of new blood cells, stem cells first develop into progenitor cells. These progenitor cells undergo further rounds of differentiation to produce different types of blood cells. Each type of blood cell has a different function. For example, red blood cells transport oxygen around the blood, whereas various types of white blood cells play different roles in fighting infection. However, overactive white blood cells also play a role in auto-immune conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. As such, scientists are trying to better understand how blood cells develop, to find new ways of treating these conditions.

Zoonotic diseases are infections that are transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. For example, COVID-19 has been designated as a zoonotic disease. In fact, three-quarters of all new infectious human diseases originate in animals, making zoonotic diseases a major threat to public health. The rapid rise in intensive farming over the past 50 years has significantly increased the risk of zoonosis. For instance, the world’s chicken population has almost tripled since 1990, with most of these birds being farmed indoors in crowded conditions. Not only are these conditions stressful for the animals, but poultry farming is responsible for hundreds of human deaths caused by bird flu.

Soft-tissue sarcomas are a common type of tumor found in dogs, which can arise in connective, muscle, or nervous tissues. These soft-tissue cancers typically require surgical removal, but often grow back if some cancer cells remain. Using a therapeutic virus could help to reduce the possibility of the tumor regrowing. However, no such viruses are available to treat dogs, and canine cancer cells can generate specific biomolecules, such as interferons, that inhibit viral replication. One option may be to co-treat the dogs with a drug that inhibits the action of interferons while administering the virus, to maximize the chances of success.

Cancer treatments are designed to kill cells within a tumor, but they often affect healthy tissues, leading to serious side-effects. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new approaches that specifically aim for targets that are unique for tumor cells. A common and early event in carcinogenesis is the formation of chromosomal structural variants. These rearrangements are unique for each tumor and contribute to the growth of the tumor. Structural variants in cancer cells create unique junctions of DNA sequences, which are typically located far apart in normal cells. Thus, these junctions represent a promising new target for precision cancer treatment.

Viral and autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system – or ‘CNS’ – are often characterized by the onset of inflammation leading to neurological dysfunction, including impairments in memory and cognition. Dr. Robyn Klein at Western University in London, Ontario leads a team that specializes in neuroinflammatory diseases of the CNS. In recent years, her laboratory has been focusing on the molecular mechanisms behind inflammation and how they regulate blood-brain barrier permeability in viral and autoimmune diseases.

Bartonella bacteria, which hide in blood, skin, and many other tissues, are known to contribute to a diverse range of human diseases, with symptoms including with symptoms including – but not limited to – swollen lymph nodes, joint and back pain, skin lesions, weakness, headache, dizziness, cardiac conditions and psychiatric symptoms. Humans are exposed to Bartonella through contact with fleas, lice, sand flies, deer flies, possibly mites, spiders and ticks, and bites from infected animals.

Over the past decade or so, researchers have conducted several large-scale genetic studies employing hundreds of thousands of patients, to identify genetic variants associated with psychiatric disorders. However, very few studies have explored how these genetic variants impact molecular processes in the brain, leading to the development of various psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, major depression, or alcohol addiction.

All animals harbor a wide range of microbes, including bacteria and fungi. In the human body, microbial cells outnumber human cells by 10 to 1! Interactions between microbes affect many physiological processes within the body, including metabolism, digestion, immunity and the production of vitamins. For instance, many beneficial microbes can suppress the growth of harmful microbes within the gut. If these microbial interactions become disrupted, we can be at a greater risk of developing various diseases.

Natural killer cells, along with other lymphocytes, are responsible for finding cells that are experiencing stress. Such cellular stress can occur when a cell is infected with a virus, or when it is becoming cancerous. Natural killer cells can identify stressed cells by detecting signals on their surfaces. These signals are recognized by a suite of proteins found on the surfaces of killer cells, known as immunoreceptors. Upon detecting these signals, natural killer cells secrete toxic substances that can kill the stressed cells.