Sick Kids

One thing I'll be doing is to draw attention to the work of organisations, companies and institutions in Canada in general but the South East in particular. Take for example The Hospital for Sick Children, which is affiliated with the University of Toronto, whose work was recently reported in the April 23, 2004 issue of the journal Science. In conjunction with the Yale University School of Medicine they have found that a compound in the spice turmeric corrects the cystic fibrosis defect in mice.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects approximately 30,000 Americans (70,000 worldwide) and causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus that accumulates in the lungs and digestive system. People with CF have difficulty absorbing nutrients from food and develop recurrent lung infections. These lung infections and the subsequent pulmonary damage are often fatal. The median age of survival for people with CF is in the early thirties...
The Hospital for Sick Children... is Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children's health in the country. Its mission is to provide the best in family-centred, compassionate care, to lead in scientific and clinical advancement, and to prepare the next generation of leaders in child health.