June 23, 2021
Snyder Institute members awarded CIHR team grant to study prevention of lung and kidney injury during critical illness
Patients who are hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) with critical illness often develop problems with their lungs and kidneys. Such problems are frequently due to excessive inflammation which can damage the organs in the short-term, leading to lung and kidney failure. These patients often require supportive treatments such as dialysis or mechanical ventilation. For patients who survive their illness, the lung and kidney injuries they experience in the ICU can often result in long term (chronic) lung and kidney disease. Thus, the consequences of surviving a critical illness can remain with patients for their lifetime, resulting in disability, reduced quality of life and an increased burden on the healthcare system.
The research being undertaken by the Muruve/Kubes/McDonald team will test whether a new class of drugs developed at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) can limit short term lung and kidney injury during critical illness by blocking a new mechanism of inflammation in these organs. The studies will also assess the best way to introduce these new drugs in the ICU.
From left: Dr. Dan Muruve, MD, Dr. Paul Kubes, PhD, and Dr. Braedon McDonald, MD, PhD
This research will help advance these new drugs through human clinical trials aimed at preventing short-term lung and kidney injury during critical illness, ultimately reducing the risk of long-term disability from chronic lung and kidney disease.
The research team crosses multiple Institutes at the CSM and includes Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Donna Senger, PhD (Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute), Dr. Ken Parhar, MD (Department of Critical Care, AHS/CSM), Dr. Matthew James, MD, PhD (Libin Cardiovascular Institute, O’Brien Institute for Public Health), and Dr. Kirsten Fiest, PhD (Hotchkiss Brain Institute).