Latest news with #MUHC
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Patients with advanced cancers to take part in promising MUHC clinical trial
Patients with certain advanced cancers could be the first in Canada to test a new therapy at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The hospital explains that some patients with metastatic pancreatic, lung and breast cancers are being invited to follow in the footsteps of a previous global trial for metastatic prostate cancer, dubbed the LuMIERE clinical trial. 'We are leading the charge in bringing radioligand therapy to Canadian cancer patients,' said Dr. Ramy Saleh, medical director of oncology clinical trials at the Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM) of the Research Institute at the MUHC. 'This trial is a major milestone that reinforces our role as a national leader in nuclear precision medicine. Our goal is clear: to offer new hope and innovative experimental treatment options to patients who have exhausted conventional therapies.' The MUHC explains that, unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy or traditional radiation therapy, radioligand therapy (RTL) utilizes elements called ligands (ions or neutral molecules) and radioisotopes to target and kill cancer cells in the body. This would be the trial's second phase, following the 'positive results' of phase one, in addition to preclinical studies showing 'significant anti-tumour activity.' 'Radioligand therapy is an exciting new frontier in oncology,' said Saleh. 'Our commitment is to push the boundaries of cancer treatment and bring cutting-edge clinical trials to our patients here in Quebec and in Canada.' Radioligand therapy involves administering the [177Lu] Lu FAP 2286 drug intravenously to participants of the trial, targeting fibroblast activating proteins (FAPs). 'This therapy is designed to zero in on FAPs, ensuring the radioactive treatment reaches cancer cells while sparing normal tissue,' explains Dr. Farzad Abbaspour, head of the MUHC Nuclear Medicine Division. 'This level of precision could redefine cancer treatment as we know it.' Participants will first undergo PET scans to confirm the presence of FAPs before being confirmed as part of the trial. The therapy requires an injection every four weeks for a maximum of four to six injections. In comparison, immunotherapy treatment typically lasts for at least two years, whereas chemotherapy treatment can be ongoing for a lifetime. Once the work is done, the radioligands are simply eliminated by the body. The goal, says Saleh, is to extend patients' lifespans and improve their quality of life. He adds that there is still no cure for advanced cancers. People eligible for the trial include those with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer. With files from The Canadian Press.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Medical day hospitals cutting down wait times, easing ER burden
Montreal General's day hospital is a way for the MUHC to reduce wait times and alleviate stress on emergency departments. (Olivia O'Malley/CTV News) The Montreal General Hospital believes its medical day hospital is a way to cut down wait times in the emergency room. Its team believes it has made a big difference. Angie Appiah, 26, was sent to the McGill university Health Centre (MUHC) medical day hospital for a follow-up on her blood sugar levels. 'This is like five-star treatment,' she said. 'As soon as I came in, they called me within five minutes and within an hour, I got to see the nurse. I got to see the doctor. They took my pressure. They were so quick. It's amazing.' The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) says that the day centre model has been used throughout Quebec for several years. The MUHC has been developing theirs since 2024. 'We're seeing positive results in terms of emergency room occupancy and hospital fluidity, which is very good news indeed,' the MSSS said. 'The MSSS encourages the sharing and implementation of such initiatives.' The mandate is to reduce patients' length of stay in the hospital. 'We're a way to get people out of there,' said Montreal General Medical Day Hospital director Dr. Patrizia Zanelli. 'We're a way to not just get people off of stretchers, but we're a way to get people out of the waiting room. We get people out of the hospital .' There are six nurses and one doctor, and patients are referred from anywhere within the MUHC. Staff see up to 22 patients a day. Zanelli said they are able to help with a variety of heat, lung and kidney problems. 'These are all patients that typically would have been earmarked to see an internal medicine specialist in the emergency room, but because the patient is well enough to leave, they can be seen even the next day,' said Zanelli. In its first year and change, the new day hospital has treated more than 2,000 patients and freed up beds in the ER. 'We cannot do this kind of work without the support of nursing patient attendance and having the entire hospital on board to get things done quickly,' said Zanelli.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
People often wear a mask to hide mental health struggles. Here are tips to help remove it
For this year's Mental Health Week, the theme is Unmasking Mental Health. CBC Montreal host Douglas Gelevan speaks with Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief of the department of psychology at the MUHC, about ways people can help themselves or their loved ones overcome the stigma.
CTV News
03-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Quebec man among first in Canada to receive lab-grown cell transplant for Type 1 diabetes
A Montrealer is the first in Quebec to receive lab-grown islet cells in a clinical trial aiming to reduce or eliminate insulin use for Type 1 diabetes. A 58-year-old Montrealer is the first patient in Quebec to receive a transplant of lab-grown cells to help treat his Type 1 diabetes — a milestone in an international clinical trial underway at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Bruno Houde, who was diagnosed with the disease at age seven, said life with diabetes has felt like an endless battle. 'It's a nightmare because you're fighting something that just always sneaks up on you,' he said. 'You never win. You always end up losing.' People with diabetes, which affects more than 300,000 Canadians, must regularly monitor their blood sugar levels and take insulin daily. Poorly controlled glucose can lead to serious complications, and even death. Houde says that, thanks to this experimental procedure, his insulin dose dropped by 40 per cent since his transplant in November 2024. His doctors hope the injections could stop altogether as the cells continue maturing inside his body. Dr. Sara Meltzer, the trial's co-investigator and an endocrinologist at the MUHC, emphasized that this isn't a magic fix. The cells continue developing even after infusion, and the patient still has a critical role to play. 'These cells are not 100 per cent mature. They finish growing once they're in the patient,' she said. 'And that takes time.' The procedure involved a transplant of islet cells — tiny clusters within the pancreas that regulate blood sugar. Traditionally, those cells come from organ donors. In Houde's case, they were grown entirely in a lab from human stem cells. 'We're looking at the possibility of having an inexhaustible supply of these cells,' said Dr. Steven Paraskevas, the principal investigator of the trial and a transplant surgeon at the MUHC. 'That's incredibly exciting.' He said traditional islet transplants are limited by donor availability and the fact that only a fraction of transplanted cells tend to survive. Most patients need cells from two or more donors, added Dr. Paraskevas. With lab-grown cells, that barrier could disappear — though the treatment still requires immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. According to Dr. Meltzer, Houde's commitment made him a strong candidate. 'He was really good at managing his diabetes with a huge amount of effort,' she said. Houde continues to undergo weekly follow-ups at the MUHC, a trek he always makes by bike. The trial requires long-term monitoring of up to five years to fully assess outcomes and potential side effects. The study is sponsored by U.S. pharmaceutical company Vertex, which announced encouraging preliminary results in June 2024. The full-dose treatment, given to a dozen patients at that point, showed promise in reducing or eliminating the need for external insulin. The MUHC is one of four sites in Canada and 30 worldwide participating in the trial. Health Canada and the FDA are watching closely, said Paraskevas. 'They need data to decide whether this product can become available to the general population of people with diabetes,' he said. 'We're still a few years away, but we're hoping it could be a real game-changer.' Quebec designated the MUHC in 2022 as the province's only centre for islet transplantation. While approval may still be years off, Houde said the changes he's already seen have transformed his life. 'The biggest difference is how I feel,' he said. 'I'm not afraid to do something because I might have a hypoglycemia. It's wonderful. It's just a miracle.'
Iraqi News
24-04-2025
- Health
- Iraqi News
Drugs targeting 'zombie cells' show promise for treating chronic back pain
INA- SOURCES In a preclinical study led by McGill University researchers, two drugs targeting "zombie cells" have been shown to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain. The condition affects millions of people worldwide. Current treatments manage symptoms through painkillers or surgery, without addressing the root cause. "Our findings are exciting because it suggests we might be able to treat back pain in a completely new way, by removing the cells driving the problem, not just masking the pain," said senior author Lisbet Haglund, a Professor in McGill's Department of Surgery and Co-director of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the Montreal General Hospital (MUHC). The work was conducted by McGill's Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at the Montreal General Hospital, part of the MUHC. Treating pain at the source Senescent cells, often called zombie cells, build up in the spinal discs as people age or when discs are damaged. Instead of dying off like normal cells, these aging cells linger and cause inflammation, pain and damage to the spine. To explore a potential solution, the research team administered two drugs orally to mice: o-Vanillin, a natural compound, and RG-7112, an FDA-approved cancer drug. They were administered together as well as separately. They found the drugs could clear zombie cells from the spine, reduce pain and inflammation, and slow or even reverse damage to spinal discs after eight weeks of treatment. Each of the drugs had a beneficial effect, but the impact was greatest when they were administered together. "We were surprised that an oral treatment could reach the spinal discs, which are hard to access and present a major hurdle in treating back pain," said Haglund. "The big question now is whether these drugs can have the same effect in humans." A natural compound's surprising potential Notably, o-Vanillin wasn't originally intended to be part of the study and was included almost by chance. Haglund explained that while testing other drugs, her team decided to add the compound, derived from turmeric and known for its anti-inflammatory properties, to see whether it might be effective in this situation. The results offer some of the first evidence that o-Vanillin can clear out zombie cells. Analogs of RG-7112 are known to do this in osteoarthritis and cancer research, but had not been used to treat back pain. Looking ahead, Haglund's team will work to improve o-Vanillin's structure to help it stay in the body longer to become even more effective. They believe these drugs have the potential to treat other age-related diseases driven by senescent cells, such as arthritis or osteoporosis.
