Don’t "Dis" My Ability

Partner post by Michelle McClure, Executive Director of Ability Online

At Ability Online, we help our members - young people of ALL abilities - discover their potential and abilities and help them enhance those  abilities by building confidence and self-esteem; letting them know they are not alone and providing opportunities to develop skills that will enhance independence and open the door to inclusion. By connecting them to role models and mentors they begin to explore possibilities for community involvement (sports and recreation; friendships), volunteer work or employment opportunities or something even bigger!

On December 3rd, International Day for Persons with Disabilities,  we launched our Don’t "Dis" My Ability social media campaign. Sharing on Twitter and Facebook, people will see inspiring stories from our members. They will be  invited to share their own stories or to head to Ability Online to engage with others. The goal is to keep the conversation going.

We will keep posting stories as we build up to February 28th, National Pink Shirt Day - to show the world how we stand up to bullying. We are proud of the fact that Ability Online has been bully-free for 27 years! Check out our I AM AWESOME pink shirts which will go on sale in January. All proceeds go to our Bully Bouncer program.

Visit Ability Online for more information or send a message to Michelle McClure at michelle@abilityonline.org.

 We all have the ability to do something that others can’t do - what is your thing?

AllerGen's new DIGITAL Annual Report

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Videos | Slideshows | Interactive graphics

Be among the first to experience AllerGen’s inaugural digital Annual Report! The report features dynamic multimedia highlights of 2016-2017 Network research, knowledge mobilization, commercialization, and capacity-building accomplishments and impacts.

  • Hear researchers describe new findings from the CHILD Study and the Clinical Investigator Collaborative
  • Meet an 11-year old Allergy Pals participant and learn how AllerGen-funded research changed how he copes with food allergies
  • Listen to AllerGen trainees describe their Summer Studentship and International Research Visit experiences

AllerGen invites you to read, view and hear about these—and many other—Network and partner achievements over the past year.

Click here to experience AllerGen’s 2016-2017 Annual Report

Family-Centered Maternity and Newborn Care: National Guidelines

The Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs is pleased to announce the release of the first chapters of the updated Family-Centered Maternity and Newborn Care: National Guidelines from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The guidelines are dedicated to improving and creating consistency in maternal and newborn health and to inform evidence based practice across Canada. The aim of the guidelines is to positively impact health from preconception to postpartum, and throughout the lifecourse of children, women and families.

PDFs of the chapters and related factsheets/infographics are available online at:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/maternity-newborn-care-guidelines.html

Over the next two years, the Public Health Agency of Canada will be releasing the remaining chapters. If you have any questions about the Family-Centred Maternity and Newborn Care: National Guidelines please contact Lynn Menard at Lynn.Menard2@canada.ca.

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GET-FACTS researchers identify new genes linked to food allergy

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By Emily Shantz & Susan J. Elliott, on behalf of the GET-FACTS Steering Committee

GET-FACTS scientists Yuka Asai, Ann Clarke, Denise Daley and their team have published a study in The Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology that provides new information on how our genes may be involved in the development of peanut and other food allergies. In their study, which was funded by the Allergy, Genes and Environment (AllerGen) Network and CIHR, researchers identified several new genes linked with peanut allergy. One gene in particular, called c11orf30/EMSY, may be be especially important, as it appears to be involved in the development of not only peanut allergy, but other food allergies as well. This is the first study to identify EMSY as a potential genetic cause of food allergy.

How was this study done?

For the first part of the study, scientists analyzed DNA from 850 people with peanut allergy (from the Canadian Peanut Allergy Registry) and 926 people without. The researchers did a type of analysis known as a genome-wide association study (GWAS).  Through this type of analysis, researchers scanned each genome, or set of DNA, to try to identify genes common among people with peanut allergy, but not common among people without. Because they are found more often in allergic people, it is likely that these genes play an important role in the development of peanut allergies. Several new genes associated with peanut allergy were uncovered, including EMSY.

For the second part of the study, scientists looked at all food allergies, not just peanut. They did what’s called a ‘meta-analysis’ meaning they combined data from the Canadian population (used above) with data from six other genetic studies done in the U.S., Australia, Germany, and Holland. When the data from these studies were pooled together, it was found that the same gene - EMSY -  was also linked to other types of food allergy, besides peanut.

What does this mean? Well, essentially, it means that this gene - EMSY - is involved in peanut allergy, and this extends to food allergies in general.

Where do we go from here?

Identifying genes that are associated with food allergy is a fundamental step in understanding how food allergies develop. Once we determine how these genes work differently in food allergic patients, treatments could be developed that essentially re-direct them to act normally – thereby reversing or reducing the severity of the food allergy. The results from this study could also lead to genetic tests for food allergy. If we scan a person’s DNA and find food allergy-related genes, this could indicate that the individual is at risk for developing a food allergy. Those at risk would benefit from early intervention and better preparedness to deal with allergic reactions. Overall, this study provides an important foundation for future food allergy studies to build upon.

References

Asai, Y., Eslami, A., Dorien van Ginkel, C., Akhabir, L., Wan, M., Ellis, G., Ben-Shoshan, M., Martino, D., Ferreira, M. A., Allen, K., Mazer, B., de Groot, H., de Jong, N. W., Gerth van Wijk, R. N., Dubois, A. E. J., Chin, R., Cheuk, S., Hoffman, J. and Daley, D., 2017. Genome-wide association study and meta-analysis in multiple populations identifies new loci for peanut allergy and establishes c11orf30/EMSY as a genetic risk factor for food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In press, accepted manuscript. Published online October 10, 2017: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674917315749

AllerGen NCE, 2017. New genetic clue to peanut allergy. Published online October 10, 2017: http://allergen-nce.ca/wp-content/uploads/Daley-new-genetic-clue-peanut-allergy.pdf

TELUS WISE® End Cyberbullying video contest

Did you know? In the past four weeks, 42% of Canadian youth have been cyberbullied and 60% have witnessed others being cyberbullied. 

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The TELUS WISE® End Cyberbullying video contest gives Canadian youth aged 13-16 the opportunity to produce and submit a short video, 60 seconds or less, that explores the subject of cyberbullying and provides positive messages and recommendations for rising above cyberbullying. 

Videos submitted will be judged on content, creativity and quality. The top 3 entrants will win cash prizes of up to $3000 to be shared between the entrant and their school.

For full contest details, visit telus.com/endcyberbullying