Ovarian
Cancer Screening and Therapy
(Principal
Investigator: Dr. Gordon Mills)
This
study involves screening patients, establishing
prognosis, tumour response and therapy of
ovarian cancer. Cancer of the ovary is the
fourth most frequent cause of death from
cancer in women. If the ovarian cancer cure
rate is to improve, new methods of early
detection and effective therapy must be
developed.
Dr.
Mills' study will determine whether measurement
of specific growth factors will provide
an effective screening test for ovarian
cancer. Dr. Mills and his team are also
working on a project to attack ovarian cancer
cells, providing the first effective and
non-toxic therapy for ovarian cancer.
Ultrasonic Measurement for Oriental
and Caucasian Fetuses
(Principal
Investigator: Dr. Pang Ling Chan)
An
accurate determination of the gestational
age of a fetus is essential in the management
of a pregnancy and is an invaluable tool
to physicians.
Currently
the growth of fetuses is measured against
standards set for Caucasians. It is possible
that this yardstick may be misleading for
practitioners and parents. This clinical
study will allow growth curves to be established
for Oriental fetuses. If the study proves
that smaller measurements are normal for
some Orientals, much stress and needless
worry would be removed from the patients,
making for a healthier pregnancy.
Prevention of Pregnancy Complications
(Principal
Investigator: Dr. Clifford Librach)
This
research involves the study of the interaction
between the maternal immune system and the
fetus. This line of study will aid in the
prevention and treatment of devastating
pregnancy complications. A spinoff of this
investigation may be the development of
a simple blood test for prenatal diagnosis
of genetic diseases, which could replace
the more risky current methods of testing.
Reproductive Biology
(Principal
Investigator: Dr. Theodore Brown)
As
the knowledge from basic research grows,
the more likely we are to see improvements
in the success rate for infertility patients.
Dr. Brown is interested in how hormones
produced by the ovaries and testes act in
the brain to regulate reproductive function.
The brain plays a critical role in reproduction.
It produces a hormone called GnRH which
regulates the release of other hormones
from the pituitary gland, triggering ovulation.
By providing a better understanding of the
complex manner by which the brain and ovaries
interact in the reproductive cycle, new
insights into some of the causes and treatment
of infertility become possible.
