More than 30 years ago, Molly Moore gave a small donation of five dollars to the 麻豆传媒 Medical Research Foundation (DMRF).
Moore thought that if each person could donate what they could reasonably afford, the accumulative effect could greatly impact the medical research community. That sentiment kick-started DMRF鈥檚 annual fundraising campaign, named after Moore herself.
The Molly Appeal for Medical Research focuses on a different area of research every year. This year鈥檚 focus is on immunity, inflammation and infectious diseases research.
鈥淲e need new strategies for combating infectious diseases, as well as increasingly common allergic and inflammatory autoimmune diseases,鈥� says Dr. Jean Marshall, head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at 麻豆传媒 Medical School.
Proceeds from this year鈥檚 campaign will go towards the purchase of a high-speed flow cytometer鈥攁 tool that will help many researchers at Dal working in the fields of immunity, inflammation and infectious diseases.
Protecting people from food and waterborne bacteria
One of those researchers is Dr. Nikhil Thomas, a microbiologist and infectious diseases researcher.
Health concerns around E. coli infections are still fresh in the minds of Canadians after the largest ever food recall in the country鈥檚 history.
The recall reminded Canadians about the importance of proper food preparation 鈥� and the scary consequences of ingesting contaminated food. But Dr. Thomas and his team were studying how the human body responds to contaminated food long before the news of the beef recall hit the airwaves.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a significant public health issue when bacteria contaminate our food or water supplies, and it鈥檚 also a huge economic issue,鈥� says Dr. Thomas.
That鈥檚 why Dr. Thomas and his team are looking at the effects that two types of dangerous bacteria have on humans: E. coli and Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
鈥淏oth of these bacteria have a complex needle-like structure on their cell surface that they use to literally pierce the intestinal wall within our bodies during infection,鈥� says Dr. Thomas. 鈥淔rom there, they inject a plethora of toxins that destroy cells and shut down the local immune response, creating tissue damage and disease.鈥�
Both bacteria can contaminate popular foods consumed in many areas of the world, like beef and shellfish. By studying the body鈥檚 response to these types of bacteria, Dr. Thomas and his team hope to learn how to better arm the body against infection.
鈥淭he flow cytometer is the workhorse of immunology research,鈥� explains Dr. Thomas. The machine will enable his team to analyze up to 20,000 cells per second, making its work much more efficient.
Helping those who struggle with immune deficiency diseases
Another researcher that will be supported by this year鈥檚 Molly Appeal is Dr. Thomas Issekutz, head of the Division of Immunology in Dal鈥檚 Department of Pediatrics and pediatric immunologist at the IWK Health Centre.
Dr. Issekutz鈥檚 team studies the immune system and diseases that impact its effectiveness in protecting the body.
鈥淐ommon variable immune deficiency (CVID) is one of the most common immune deficiency diseases affecting both children and adults, but it鈥檚 one of the least understood,鈥� says Dr. Issekutz (pictured, left).
He explains why CVID is problematic: people affected by it are unable to produce antibodies they need to fight off infections. Some people with CVID face an added challenge: their immune systems attack their own tissues.
鈥淲e want to learn which immune cells are involved, and in what ways, so we can develop strategies to unblock antibody production while blocking autoimmune attacks,鈥� says Dr. Issekutz.
鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful that the 2012 Molly Appeal is raising money for this vital equipment. It will help us get to the bottom of many mysteries that much faster,鈥� says Dr. Issekutz.
To learn more about the Molly Appeal and the DMRF, please visit .