Cool Science

Lawson researchers at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) have made important discoveries across various disciplines of health research.

The following milestones are just a small selection of the many breakthroughs that have formed the foundation for London’s continuing excellence in health research.

1948 – The first artificial kidney machine in Canada is developed at LHSC.

Artificial kidney

Up until the late 1940s patients diagnosed with kidney failure were given a death sentence. Dr. Willem Kolff, working in Holland, began investigating the prospect of mechanically replicating the kidney’s functions and eventually built two different artificial kidney machines.

In the spring of 1948, Dr. Jacobus van Noordwijk, who had worked under Dr. Kolff in Holland, decided to spend a year in London instructing physicians on how to build and operate the first artificial kidney machine in Canada. The device consisted of 120 feet of special cellophane tubing stretched around a drum, which in turn revolved in a special solution designed to remove the blood impurities.


Dr. van Noordwijk began work on the machine at Victoria Hospital in August 1948, and by the following January, Canada’s first artificial kidney was put on public display (Source: LHSC insert in the London Free Press, pg. 8).

1949 - Sexual dimorphism in cells is discovered at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital, leading to new knowledge of the relationship between sex chromosome abnormalities and human disease.

Dr. Murray Barr studied the effects of fatigue on the central nervous system. In 1949, with a $400 research grant, he used an electrical device to stimulate the nerve cells of cats. He was puzzled at a mass of chromatin in nerve cells in some cats but not in others and concluded that this could be attributed to the sex of the animals. He published his findings on the “sex chromatin” later that year, now known as the Barr body.

Later studies by Dr. Barr revealed that the single Barr body in normal cells is one of the two X-chromosomes in a highly condensed and genetically inactive state. The other X-chromosome is in the diffuse state and is genetically active.

The discovery enabled Barr and his co-workers to devise a relatively simple diagnostic test for certain genetic abnormalities, in which cells rubbed from the lining of the mouth cavity (a buccal smear) were stained and examined microscopically.

This marked the start of genetic testing, even before the discovery of DNA (Source: LHSC insert in the London Free Press, pg. 8).

Barr Bodies


Watch a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame video on Dr. Murray Barr’s life and career:


On October 27, 1951, the first treatment of cancer with Cobalt-60 radiation in the world took place. Developed by Dr. Ivan Smith and built in Saskatoon, the machine was known as the “Cobalt Bomb” or the “Peace Bomb”.

The machine was able to “hit the tumour” and spare the surrounding healthy tissue. The therapy helped double survival rates and eventually benefitted an estimated 35 million cancer patients. 

In July 2001, the last Cobalt radiation treatment unit at the London Regional Cancer Centre (LRCC, now the London Regional Cancer Program) was removed. It was replaced by a Tomotherapy unit. At that time, LRCC was one of only two cancer treatment centres in Canada to have the new technology (Source: LHSC insert in the London Free Press, pg. 8).

In 1951, CBC Radio reported that at Victoria Hospital, “the Canadian cobalt bomb therapy unit has made its world debut.” Listen to the original clip from CBC’s digital archives.  

1958 - Dr. Charles Drake pioneers a world-first surgical procedure for aneurysms at the base of the brain, called basilar aneurysms.

At LHSC’s Victoria Hospital, Dr. Drake developed and perfected his techniques for the diagnosis and repair of brain aneurysms, which gained him international recognition.

In 1958, he had a patient with an aneurysm which was generally believed to be inoperable. However, Dr. Drake was confident in his abilities, and was successful with his new approach. Four years afterwards he documented aneurysm surgery, perfected his technique and taught it to other surgeons. Patients and medical organizations from every corner of the world sought his expertise (Source: LHSC insert in the London Free Press, pg. 8).

Watch a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame video to learn more about Dr. Charles Drake and his research:


1981 – Dr. Fred Possmayer discovers a method of extracting and purifying natural surfactant from a cow's lung to help premature infants breathe, saving millions of infants worldwide.

Premature babies often suffer from respiratory distress. Lawson scientist Dr. Fred Possmayer came up with a technique to purify and sterilize lung surfactant — a substance that allows lungs to expand and breathe. The surfactant is extracted from a cow’s lung and is known as bovine lipid extract surfactant. It is made in London and used by nearly all neonatal intensive care units in Canada.  Dr. Possmayer's work has saved the lives of premature babies around the world. The surfactant is now also used to treat adults suffering from acute lung injury (Source: Children's Health Research Institute).

1991- A discovery at LHSC shows that grapefruit juice can greatly boost the amount of drug that reaches the body’s circulation. 


In 1989, Drs. David Bailey, Malcolm Arnold and David Spence were interested in a possible interaction between alcohol and a blood pressure medicine called felodipine. Dr. Bailey was given the task of finding some way to disguise the flavour of the alcohol and decided on double strength grapefruit juice.

What they found was that grapefruit can markedly reduce the activity of the intestinal drug metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4, elevating the percentage of the drug that reaches the circulation, possibly to toxic levels.

Sixty per cent of drugs that are commonly prescribed are metabolized to some extent by CYP3A4. The result of the inhibition of this enzyme can be significant. Their research determined that taking certain medications with a glass of grapefruit juice is the same as taking 12-15 tablets of the same medication with a glass of water. The team’s subsequent study was published in the Lancet in 1991 and was the first reported clinical food-drug interaction.

In 2012, Dr. David Bailey’s research showed an increase in interactions between grapefruit and certain medications (Source: LHSC insert in the London Free Press, pg. 8).

1993 – Urologists at St. Joseph’s are the first in the world to use a holmium laser for fragmentation of renal calculi. 

St. Joseph’s urologists were the first to treat a human for kidney stones using a holmium laser, a treatment now used around the world. Surgeons at St. Joseph’s Hospital have a long history of advances in the treatment and diagnosis of kidney stones. In 1990, St. Joseph’s became the second hospital in Ontario to offer lithotripsy, a non-invasive way to break up kidney stones.  The service was the busiest in the world, and today treats more than 1300 patients a year.

Before these innovative treatments, patients underwent open surgery, stayed in hospital for a week with six to eight weeks of recovery. Now, procedures are outpatient, with patients going home the same day with one to two days of recovery (Source: St. Joseph's).

St. Joseph's produced the following video of Dr. John Denstedt discussing the first treatment with the holmium laser and how it is used today:


1999 – Lawson researchers were the first in Canada to perform neonatal MRI research at 3 Tesla (higher than the conventional magnetic field strength of 1.5 Tesla) at St. Joseph’s. 

The power and nature of the 3T magnet allowed researchers to safely acquire images at a very early developmental stage. Before this it was not possible to image a premature infant’s brain. 

Some blood vessels in a premature infant’s brain are not fully formed putting them at risk of internal bleeding, which can kill or affect the development of brain cells. Using the magnet, clinicians can detect the chemistry of brain and blood vessel cells to predict potential hemorrhage and initiate appropriate treatment with early detection. Improved early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent brain damage, such as cerebral palsy, in these fragile infants.

3T Magnet

Lawson's 1999 annual report featured the 3T magnet and the impact its capabilities could have for research in this area. View the full article to learn more.

2001 – St. Joseph’s is one of five sites in the world piloting the Diabetes Electronic Management Systems (DEMS).

DEMS enabled patient data to be compiled in one electronic medical record, rather than multiple paper records, to improve communications amongst care team members. The system also provided suggestions for addressing clinical issues, such as changes to treatment regimens or medication contradictions, and provided the physician with the patient’s current health status and medical history.

Dem

This article from a Lawson publication highlights the study, calling the system “the next generation of diabetes management tools.” View the full article to learn more.

2001 - Lawson establishes the first Canadian Research and Development Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics at St. Joseph’s.

Dr. Gregor Reid created the Canadian Research and Development Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics at a time when these concepts were barely known in Canada. In 2001, he chaired a United Nations/World Health Organization Expert Panel and came up with a definition for probiotics that still stands today: “Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” With well over 100 publications on probiotics and beneficial bacteria living inside us, including a number of breakthrough studies, the centre formed the foundation for these fields.

With the improvement in next-generating sequencing, areas traditionally considered sterile like breast tissue, stomach, brain and the bladder have been found to have their own microbiome. Numerous studies have discovered that our gut flora is tied to virtually every process in our body and scientists have demonstrated that changes in composition of the microbiome can correlate with disease states. Dr. Reid proposed the concept of a ‘normal flora’ in the 1980s while studying the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections. Since then the the ability to utilize microbes to benefit the host (probiotics) has grown rapidly in importance worldwide.

Probiotic report

This article from a Lawson 1996 annual report states, “The new field of probiotics [at Lawson] shows significant promise as we move towards the 21st century." View the full article to learn more.

2003 – Lawson researchers at St. Joseph's perform the first treatment of pain with extremely low frequency magnetic field.

Exposure to magnetic fields has been found to affect behaviour in very specific ways. Particular magnetic pulses acting upon the opiod system in the brain have not only been found to create an analgesic effect equivalent to a moderate dose of morphine, they also seem to lessen the severity of depression and anxiety. Researchers at Lawson built a first-of-its-kind human exposure system to allow them to observe beneficial effects of specific magnetic pulses and test for drugless alternatives to pain relievers and tranquilizers. 

This 2002 video (start at 1:44) describes how the system works. In the clip, Dr. Frank Prato explains that when MRIs first started being used, the effects of exposure to magnetic fields were not well understood. Lawson researchers not only studied potential negative effects but also the positive effects, leading to this new area of research.

2008 - Lawson opens Canada’s first dedicated personalized medicine clinic at LHSC. 

In 2008 Dr. Richard Kim established Canada’s first dedicated personalized medicine clinic based on his research findings in the paper “Prospective evaluation of a pharmacogenetics-guided warfarin loading and maintenance dose regimen for initiation of therapy.” 

Most medical treatments are designed for patients in a “one-size-fits-all-approach,” which may be successful for some patients but not for others. Differences in a patient’s response to drugs can lead to severe drug toxicity in some or loss of drug efficacy in others. Personalized medicine is an innovative and emerging field that utilizes an individual’s genetic profile, environment and lifestyle to guide decisions related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease to provide the “right dose, of the right drug at the right time”.

Dr. Kim and his team use a pharmacogenomics approach, combining research on drug metabolism and transport with research on the influence of genetic variation on drug response, to develop personalized drug therapies for cancer, vascular disease, and adverse drug reaction prevention. To date, their research has helped to tailor drug therapies for over 4000 patients.

In this video from the 2015 Lawson Impact Awards, Dr. Kim gives an overview of how personalized medicine works and the future of the field:

2010 - Lawson opens the Nordal Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility at St. Joseph’s. 

The Nordal Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility produces positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals (PERs) which are used when patients undergo a positron emission tomography (PET) scan. The half-life of the radioactive isotopes in PERs is short and so they must be generated with a cyclotron that is close to the clinic where they are used. The facility produces short-lived PERs for St. Joseph’s and is now becoming the centre of a regional distribution network.

Lawson 188

In combination with PET/CT, PET/MRI and preclinical PET imaging scanners, the facility supports a wide range of research projects including imaging applied to oncology, cardiology, neurology, psychology, bioelectromagnetics and other areas.

Watch a tour of the Cyclotron and PET Radiochemistry in this 2010 video:


2012 – Lawson receives Canada’s first whole body PET/MRI scanner, the Biograph mMR, manufactured by Siemens.

MRI produces detailed anatomical images of body structures, while PET technology can track changes in a variety of disease conditions at the cellular metabolic level before structural or anatomic changes are seen on CT or MRI. The PET/MRI combines the metabolic imaging capabilities of PET with the structural imaging of MRI.

pet mri

The simultaneous capture of PET and MRI images has many advantages over sequential capture of PET and MRI, including improved co-registration of PET and MRI images, shorter overall imaging times and the ability to observe rapidly changing physiological processes simultaneously. The scanner is used by researchers to help improve diagnosis and treatment of Canada’s major health challenges, such as cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, mental illness and cancer.