TORONTO, November 12, 2002 -- A new Canada Research Chair in cell physiology awarded at York University today will support research on the effects of regular exercise on mitochondria, cell aging and disease.
The Canada Research Chair in Cell Physiology, awarded to Prof. David Hood, will advance the study of the organs within cells, called mitochondria, which produce 90 per cent of a cell’s energy. Dysfunction in cell mitochondria can lead to muscle diseases and fatigue, diabetes, Parkinson’s and heart disease, as well as cell death in the process of aging. Scientists know that regular exercise causes the number of mitochondria to increase, and improves mitochondrial energy production in muscle cells.
Hood’s laboratory in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York is unique in that it seeks to understand the basic science of cell mitochondria as well as the benefits of regular exercise to treat mitochondrial disorders, with far-reaching implications for overall health. The advantages of regular exercise on mitochondria include a greater ability to metabolize fat rather than sugar during exercise, and an improved metabolic efficiency, leading to greater endurance. This produces less cellular stress and fatigue, and provides a greater quality of life for those with mitochondrial disease, or for those who have been chronically inactive.
The program at York is multi-disciplinary, combining techniques of physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, and it involves several national and international research collaborations that will seek to clarify the mechanisms that generate new mitochondria within cells. The research is also expected to shed light on why the number of mitochondrial-based diseases are increasing.
"The Canada Research Chairs Program is key to Canada’s competitiveness in the knowledge economy," said Industry Minister Allan Rock in announcing new Chairs at universities across Canada in St. John’s today. "Each new Chairholder moves us closer to our goal of being one of the top five countries in research and development by 2010." The federal government announced a total of $5.2 million for four new Chairs at York, including $1.4 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which provides infrastructural support to the Chairs.
The Canada Research Chair in Cell Physiology (Tier I) has a number of objectives over a five-year period, including the investigation of nuclear and mitochondrial gene transcription, the mechanisms of protein transport into mitochondria, understanding the types of signals contracting muscles send, an evaluation of how exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis affects cell death, and the development of a collaborative research group on skeletal muscle cell health.
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For further information, please contact:
| Prof. David Hood | Susan Bigelow |
| School of Kinesiology and Health Science | Media Relations |
| York University | York University |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 66640 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22091 |
| dhood@yorku.ca | sbigelow@yorku.ca |
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