“Researchers around the world have spent decades trying to find new therapies for septic shock, but so far nothing has improved survival, nor the quality of life for survivors of this devastating illness. We urgently need new treatments for septic shock, and to test them in randomized controlled trials like this one.” -Dr. Lauralyn McIntyreDr. Lauralyn McIntyre was awarded $1.6 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Trials Fund to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in patients with septic shock.
This deadly condition occurs when an infection spreads through the body and over-activates the immune system, causing the heart and other organs to fail. MSCs have been shown to dampen the damaging part of the immune response while bolstering the more beneficial parts.
Dr. McIntyre and her team previously conducted the first clinical trial in the world of MSC therapy for septic shock.
This new funding will allow them to complete a larger randomized controlled clinical trial in 10 centres across Canada to see whether the cells can reduce patients’ need for organ support in the ICU. The team had previously secured $1 million in funding from the Stem Cell Network to recruit 122 participants, and this new funding will allow them to recruit 174 more. They plan to begin recruitment in the spring.
“Researchers around the world have spent decades trying to find new therapies for septic shock, but so far nothing has improved survival, nor the quality of life for survivors of this devastating illness,” said Dr. McIntyre, senior scientist and critical care physician at The Ottawa Hospital and associate professor at the University of Ottawa. “We urgently need new treatments for septic shock, and to test them in randomized controlled trials like this one.”
Sepsis is recognized as a global health priority, with an estimated 48.9 million cases of sepsis and 11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide annually.
Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are also playing a lead role in several other projects funded through the Clinical Trials Fund, including the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium, and the Canadian-Led Immunotherapies in Cancer (CLIC) clinical trial.
Principal Investigators: Lauralyn McIntyre, Duncan Stewart, Dean Fergusson, Keith Walley, Asher Mendelson, Alison Fox-Robichaud (Principal Knowledge User)
Co-Investigators and collaborators: Alexis Turgeon, Bernard Thébaud, Brent Winston, Christine Hum, Christine Caron, Claudia Dos Santos, Damon Scales, Denis Claude-Roy, Geeta Mehta, Gregory Korbutt, John Granton, John Marshall, Karen Burns, Kednapa Thavorn, Jennifer Tsang, Margaret Herridge, Mario Ruediger, Michael Chasse, Nicola Mccleary, Ryan Zarychanski, Shane English, Shirley Mei, Tim Ramsay, the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, Sepsis Canada, the Centre for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, patient partners and project manager Josee Champagne.
Funders: This study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Stem Cell Network. All research at The Ottawa Hospital is enabled by generous donors to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
Core resources at The Ottawa Hospital: Ottawa Methods Centre, Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre, Clinical Research Laboratory
Partner Institutions: The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, University of Manitoba, University of British Columbia, McMaster University, CHUM, UHN, Toronto General Hospital, St. Michael's Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Niagara Health, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, University of Calgary.
About The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals, where excellent care is inspired by research and driven by compassion. As the third-largest employer in Ottawa, our support staff, researchers, nurses, physicians, and volunteers never stop seeking solutions to the most complex health-care challenges. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, attracts some of the most influential scientific minds from around the world. Backed by generous support from the community, we are committed to providing the world-class, compassionate care we would want for our loved ones. www.ohri.ca
About the University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is home to over 54,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
Media Contact
Jenn Ganton
613-614-5253
jganton@ohri.ca
