In the lab

Looking at new ways to apply basic research results

Dr. Jeremy Scott is a man with a mission.

Scott, an AllerGen principal investigator, hopes that his research, which looks at how various pollution exposures affect the airways of mice, will not only inform other studies within the AllerGen network, but will also give policy makers the evidence they need to create tougher regulations governing air quality.

Leading a team of 12 investigators representing five universities, three hospitals, Health Canada and Environment Canada, Scott's AllerGen-funded study, Cardiopulmonary consequences of air pollution in a murine (mouse) model of allergic asthma, should be completed over the next few months.

His goal is to provide causal evidence that government decision-makers need to move forward with more stringent regulations aimed at restricting everyday exposure to air pollution that adversely affects the health and quality of life for Canadian adults and children.

"It is our intent that the results... will be used to clarify areas for the regulation of pollution exposures that lack precise recommendations," Scott said. "Simply put, it is hoped that the findings of our investigations will provide a reason to restrict exposures where one has not yet been provided."

Scott also hopes that results from this project can be used to corroborate findings in another AllerGen study led by principal investigator Dr. Frances Silverman. Silverman's research focuses on human exposure to air pollution and its effect on asthma.

"Our general plan has been, and continues to be, to feed back and forth between the studies."

Since its inception in 2004, AllerGen has encouraged investigators to "think outside the box" by looking at other fields of study spanning multiple sectors, says Scientific Director Dr. Judah Denburg.

Scott is doing just that. Currently, he hopes to bridge the gap between results from his animal studies and apply those findings to benefit human health. Newly developed collaborations with Dr. James Scott (University of Toronto; not related) and Dr. Tim Takaro (Simon Fraser University) has Scott hoping that his mouse exposure model can evolve into a kind of bioassay system-a method to test the strength and reaction of new substances or combinations of substances-used to study the effects of household dust on children who show symptoms of allergy and asthma. In another collaborative relationship, Scott hopes that exposures of airway cells that exhibit protective tendencies in an artificial environment will further reinforce the link between animal and human studies, showing the importance of continued research using his animal models.

"The networking between AllerGen investigators has not only introduced collaborations in areas that are peripheral to my primary interests, but has connected me with investigators who have expertise in areas relevant to my main research programme," Scott says.

Leveraging networking opportunities

As a new faculty member at the University of Toronto, Scott credits his participation in the AllerGen Network for the rapid establishment of the environmental component of his research programme. He also believes that his affiliation with the Network is contributing to his growing reputation on a national level-he has been an invited reviewer for several journals and granting agencies.

Currently, Scott supervises three AllerGen trainees who fall under the auspices of the Network's Highly Qualified Entrepreneurial Personnel program. He believes support for these trainees has not only provided them the chance to learn and expand their skills in a lab setting, but has presented many opportunities to improve their oral presentation skills through various trainee symposia and competitions; to gain experience at specialized workshops like the Analysis of Asthma Phenotype Workshop held in Montreal in October 2006; and to initiate contacts with representatives from academia, industry, government and non-profit organizations.

AllerGen collaborations leading to partnerships

Dr. Jeremy Scott and another (unrelated) AllerGen investigator, Dr. James Scott, are currently developing a new delivery system to test real-world air particles on conscious mice, mimicking the real-world exposures that Canadians face everyday.

While not an AllerGen-supported project, Scott believes the creation of this exposure system will benefit various Network studies of allergic and related immune diseases, by testing the health effects of various exposures to dust, air particles, mould, fungi and more. AllerGen research that could benefit from the use of this new delivery system includes projects looking at work-related asthma and allergy, indoor air pollution and the Canadian Health Infant Longitudinal Development study, according to Scott.

Currently, the two investigators are looking at potential industry partners to collaborate on the further development of this new system.