Breakthroughs
Some of Canadian and world firsts at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) include the following:
- Immunologists at SRI were the first in the world to create a simple system to generate T cells in a Petri dish. This discovery points the way to the eventual development of clinical therapies for people with devastated immune systems like those with AIDS.
- Cell biologists at SRI showed that lower doses of chemotherapy given with antiangiogenic drugs significantly delays the growth of tumours in preclinical models. Clinical trial teams worldwide are now seeking to validate this molecular breakthrough.
- Neuroscientists at SRI showed that bright artificial light therapy is as effective as antidepressant medication in the treatment of winter depression. They also showed that it works faster and produces less agitation and sleep disturbance, and fewer palpitations.
- Heart and circulation researchers at SRI provided evidence to suggest that artery grafts from the forearm should be used in place of vein grafts from the leg for heart bypass surgery. This finding challenges more than 30 years of surgical practice.
Read more about this topic: Sunnybrook Research Institute