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Aging in fast motion to see why our cells get tired of regenerating


February 26, 2014

Dr. William Stanford has received $1M from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to explore what's happening at the molecular level that makes our cells more susceptible to stress and less capable of regeneration as we get older. Dr. Stanford's novel approach uses stem cells derived from the skin cells of patients with a rare disease called Progeria, which causes a child to age extremely rapidly. Forming wrinkles by age eight, these patients usually die from a heart attack or stroke by age 13. Dr. Stanford's team will examine how small molecules called reactive oxygen species make cell division more difficult and lead to numerous age-related diseases, such as hardening of the arteries. Further details, including a list of co-investigators, can be found in CIHR’s Funding Decision Database.

Co-investigators: Dr. Jeffrey Dilworth, Dr. Michael Hendzel

About the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and is an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa, closely associated with the university’s Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences. OHRI includes more than 1,700 scientists, clinical investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff conducting research to improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disease.

Media contact
Paddy Moore
Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-737-8899 x73687
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padmoore@ohri.ca