Two OVC professors are among 13 University of Guelph researchers to share in a $12.8-million investment in the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program announced by the federal government.

The University received five new CRCs and had a total of eight renewed, including Department of Biomedical Sciences Prof. Allan King's Tier 1 chair in animal reproductive biotechnology and Pathobiology Prof. Dorothee Bienzle's Tier 2 chair in veterinary pathology.

On the opening day of a special conference in Toronto making the 10th anniversary of the CRC program, Canada's Industry Minister Tony Clement announced a total of 310 new or renewed chairs worth an estimated $275.6 million.

For more, read the U of G news release.

The course of study for student veterinarians includes a wide variety of animals – horses, dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens to name but a few. This diversity helps our students understand that veterinarians are responsible not only for the companion animals in our lives but also for a safe and healthy food supply.

Safe food is critical for the health and welfare of the public. It is vital for student veterinarians who may work in the food animal industry to be provided with skills and experience with food animals that are raised to enter the food chain and be available to the public for consumption. It is also important that students going into other areas of veterinary medicine understand the importance of a safe and healthy food supply for pets as well as people.

Our curriculum emphasizes safe, humane handling of all animals, including food animals. We teach restraint techniques, how to perform a physical exam, anesthesia and routine surgeries. These skills are critically important to ensure our graduates are proficient veterinarians.

We purchase a number of food animals to assist in our courses. Afterwards, they cannot be returned to their facility of origin because of concerns about disease transmission back to the herd or flock, so they are sold at auction.

If a student veterinarian wishes to purchase these animals, standard procedures are followed – a potential owner is screened, and the sale is approved only to those who can provide appropriate housing and flock management.

Learning to be a veterinarian opens a world of opportunity for students. Ensuring a safe, healthy food supply is an obligation and responsibility for the veterinary profession, not only in Ontario but also across the nation and throughout the world.

From Nov. 22, 2010 University of Guelph press release

A University of Guelph study has found that a prescription drug thought to have anti-cancer properties when used off-label may not only be less effective than claimed but may actually protect some kinds of cancers.

"Sodium dichloroacetate is not very effective at killing some kinds of cancer cells and, in fact, it has the opposite effect and could even make things worse," said Brenda Coomber, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College.

This research, which was published recently in the journal Cancer Letters, is featured in today's Globe and Mail.

Developed three decades ago to treat a rare, serious metabolic disorder in children, sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) has been touted as a safe, inexpensive anti-cancer drug.

In patients with this metabolic disorder, DCA "resets" malfunctioning mitochondria to restore the body's normal energy pathway. Mitochondria are cellular "power plants" that convert glucose into energy. Normally, they also generate oxygen radicals used in further metabolism but that are also toxic to cells. Mitochondria also help trigger cell death, a normal part of tissue growth and health.

Scientists believe that, when oxygen is present, DCA forces cancer cells to use the mitochondrial pathway, producing oxygen radicals that kill the cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. Studies of brain tumors have found that DCA selectively kills cancer cells without damaging normal tissue.

But that's not what Coomber found with colorectal cancer. Along with her team -- research associate Siranoush Shahrzad, graduate students Kristen Lacombe and Una Adamic, and technician Kanwal Minhas â€" she looked at ischemic regions of tumours, or areas with low oxygen and nutrients due to abnormal blood flow. They had expected that, under fluctuating oxygen levels, DCA treatment would force cancer cells to use the mitochondrial pathway, generate oxygen radicals and die.

In normal culture, DCA killed some human colon cancer cells. But under low oxygen, the same cancer cells were more likely to survive. In mice with human colon cancer cells grown as tumours, DCA provided no therapeutic benefit; in fact, some treated tumours grew better than untreated ones. Fewer cells in ischemic regions died in DCA-treated tumours than in untreated ones.

"The bottom line is that cancer is not a single disease, so it's unrealistic to expect a single drug to be a 'magic bullet' that's effective against every type of cancer," Coomber said, adding that many factors influence how cancer cells develop and behave.

"We are only beginning to tease these things out. DCA may well turn out to be an effective treatment in some cases, but it's not necessarily safe in all cases. There are people out there buying this drug off the Internet and self-medicating -- who knows what's going on in their tumour? They might actually be making it worse."

Her team now plans to study the pathways DCA uses to protect some cancer cells.

This research was funded by the Canadian Cancer Society's Research Institute.

The OVC Pet Trust Fund invites you to get ready for the holiday season by having a professional portrait taken of you and/or your pet.

OVC Pet Trust is teaming up with Guelph-based photographer Dean Palmer, known for his beautiful shots that often grace the cover of Dogs in Canada magazine.

The OVC Pet Trust Photo Day takes place Saturday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre. For a minimum donation of $20, you'll receive a professional 5" x 7" photo of your pet (or you and your pet). Additional prints will be available for purchase online from the photographer.

The first hour of the day will be devoted to cats and their owners. Spaces are limited. To reserve your spot, please RSVP by email to rsvpovc@uoguelph.ca and sign up for one of the following time slots:

• 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (cats only)

• 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. (cats only)

• 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

• 10:30 - 11 a.m.

• 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

• 12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.

• 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• 1.30 p.m. – 2 p.m.

• 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

• 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.

• 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your time slot to groom yourself and your pet. All proceeds to the OVC Pet Trust Fund.

Your contribution will help OVC build Canada's first comprehensive animal cancer centre. The OVC Pet Trust Fund is now more than halfway toward its goal of $15 million in support of the project. Construction is scheduled to begin by early 2011.

A memorial service for Dr. Roberto Poma will be held today at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 98 Alice St. in Guelph.

The service will be followed by a gathering of friends and family at the Italian Canadian Club, 135 Ferguson St.

Poma, a faculty member and neurology specialist in the Department of Clinical Studies, died on Nov. 15 of an acute brain hemorrhage at the age of 41.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Becky Valentine, and children Leonardo and Valentina, and extended family. A trust fund has been established for the children. For more information, see the obituary or contact Andrew Bradford at agbradford@shaw.ca to make a donation to the fund.

OVC students have organized a "green ribbon" campaign in his memory and as a gesture of support for Poma's grieving family.

Green ribbons can be purchased for a donation at several locations around the OVC campus. Proceeds will go to the family. Ribbons will be available outside the OVC cafeteria during lunchtime through Friday, and will most likely be available in Room 1438 throughout the rest of the day.

For more information about the ribbons, contact Amber Reed at reeda@uoguelph.ca.

The 2010 Graduate Student Research Symposium takes place today in conjunction with the Schofield Memorial Lecture.

The Schofield Lecture features a three-time OVC graduate, Dr. Christine Zink, director of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's department of molecular and comparative pathology. Her talk, "Veterinary Medicine: Great Life, Global Impact," takes place at 4 p.m. in Room 1714 of the OVC Lifetime Learning Centre.

The daylong symposium gets under way at 10:30 a.m. and showcases the work of current graduate students who take part in poster sessions and oral presentations. For more information, see the proceedings booklet and schedule.

A reception and awards presentations will follow the Schofield Lecture.

Dr. Zink developed the premier animal model for the study of the pathogenesis of HIV infection in humans and for pre-clinical testing of anti-HIV therapeutics. She is also an award-winning author and has played a major role in establishment of the new specialty of canine sports medicine and rehabilitation.

The OVC community is mourning the loss of a beloved colleague and gifted clinician, scientist and teacher.

Dr. Roberto Poma, a faculty member and neurology specialist in the Department of Clinical Studies, died on Nov. 15 of an acute brain hemorrhage at the age of 41.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Becky Valentine, their children and extended family.

Please check the OVC website for updates. As a gesture of respect and condolence, the University of Guelph will lower its flags to half-mast on the day of his funeral.

A graduate of the veterinary school at the University of Turin, Italy, Poma came to OVC for a DVSc in neurology in 1998. After successfully completing his residency, he spent three years as a staff veterinarian in the OVC Teaching Hospital before joining the faculty in 2004.

Poma's research was focused on finding better ways to diagnose and treat canine epilepsy, and improve understanding of the disease in companion animals and humans.

He also worked closely with groups such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club to reduce the incidence of syringomyelia, a very serious neurological disorder that is rare in most breeds but increasingly afflicts King Charles Spaniels.

Innovative technology developed by researchers in the Department of Pathobiology is showcased at this year's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

High immune response (HIR) technology is a new genetic tool for breeding disease-resistant cattle developed by a team led by Prof. Bonnie Mallard and Lauri Wagter-Lesperance.

"We've patented a process that will help producers identify their healthiest animals and breed them based on their inherent immune response capacity," said Mallard. "HIR animals are improved through natural genetic selection, making this a 'green' and sustainable approach to improving animal health, food safety for consumers, and the bottom line for producers."

Mallard invited visitors to the Royal to drop by the U of G booth and meet the researchers, watch a video describing the HIR process, and participate in a short survey.

A number of U of G initiatives are in the spotlight at the Royal this year, including the latest advances in bioproducts, the BetterPlanet Project, and EquiMania!

Billed as the largest indoor event combining agricultural, horticultural, canine and equestrian exhibits, the annual Royal Winter Agricultural Fair attracts more than 350,000 visitors. It runs until Nov. 14 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

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Animal lovers are invited to help the OVC Pet Trust Fund fight cancer in pets by supporting a social media campaign launched this month by a Canadian pet insurance provider.

PetSecure Pet Insurance kicked off its 2010 "FURther the Fight" campaign to mark Pet Cancer Awareness Month in November. The company is using Facebook and Twitter to raise funds in support of pet cancer research at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).

For every new fan to join PetSecure's Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter in November, the company will donate $1 to the OVC Pet Trust Fund.

Watch the video on YouTube to learn more.

Last year, PetSecure donated over $1,400 from the campaign to Pet Trust and this year they're hoping to do even better. For more information on the FURther the Fight campaign, see the PetSecure news release, or become a new "fan" of their Facebook page and sign up to follow them on Twitter.

Cancer claims one in four dogs and one in eight cats. Dogs develop many of the same cancers as humans, and the tools used to diagnose and treat the disease are also similar.

Each year, the OVC Pet Trust Fund supports a wide range of studies that lead to advances in veterinary health care that benefit animals all over the world. In addition, more than $8 million has been raised in just the last five years to help build Canada's first comprehensive animal cancer centre at the OVC.

Construction is scheduled to begin by early 2011. To learn more, visit the Pet Trust website and while you're at it, become a fan on Facebook.

OVC people and programs made local and national headlines this week.

Dr. Cathy Gartley, a theriogenology specialist in the Department of Population Medicine, was quoted in a Monday Globe and Mail story about the second-hand effects of creams containing estrogen, progesterone or testosterone. Gartley discusses how creams and gels made with natural sources of estrogen can affect a pet's hormonal system.

"People don't seem to realize that if it goes through their skin, it could go through their dog's skin too."

Read the full article for more.

Dr. Shane Bateman, director of the Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre, is featured in an At Guelph article about the centre and its innovative programs, including an endowed care program expected to be launched next year.

"Pets are now a much different and bigger part of our families. If people have no family or friend or someone to take on care of their family member (pet), then they're looking for other places for that to happen."

Read the feature online in At Guelph for more.