Two University of Saskatchewan (USask) scientists had welcome news when their projects recently received nearly CAD$1.47 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research through a program aimed at advancing human health.
Dr. Adelaine Leung uses fruit flies as models to explore sex-specific approaches to preventing or treating obesity. Dr. Tony Ruzzini's research focuses on antimicrobial resistance genes and mechanisms. While their findings will benefit human health, both researchers are faculty members at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)—a hotbed for One Health research initiatives.
Scientists from the WCVM are actively responding to emerging health threats by combining expertise and resources from human and veterinary medicine, environmental science, and agriculture. Here's a sampling of the One Health projects that are underway at the college.
Vaping's Health Impacts
Dr. Tat Chuan Cham, a PhD student at the WCVM, developed an in vitro artificial pig testis to help answer questions about the effects of toxicants produced from vapes. Scientists can use the pig model to study the effects of vaping on a developing fetus. This topic is of concern due to a trend among some pregnant women who view vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. “By using our system, we will be able to test this by mimicking what happens in those exposed fetuses,” said Cham.
Parasite Mystery Solved
Toxoplasma gondii can cause toxoplasmosis, which is particularly dangerous and potentially fatal for fetuses and immunocompromised individuals. Why northern Canadians have high exposure rates to this parasite has been a mystery, but WCVM scientists believe they’ve found the answer by examining foxes.
“Foxes are a good indicator species for how much a parasite circulates in the environment because … they scavenge a lot of meat. They can be exposed through similar routes to how people can be exposed,” said Dr. Emily Jenkins, WCVM professor and co-lead of the university's One Health Signature Area of Research.
Arctic foxes in northern Canada have helped solve a parasite mystery in humans. (Image: Émilie Bouchard.)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 2025; 10.2460/ajvr.24.11.0353
Their findings show a heightened presence of T gondii in foxes found in northern Quebec. By analyzing stable isotopes in the tissue of infected foxes, researchers compared their diet with that of humans and determined that fish and waterfowl are common vectors for T gondii versus mammals.
Improving Organ Transplants
Dr. Ali Honaramooz, a biomedical scientist at the WCVM, and his research team are studying more efficient methods of developing genetically modified (transgenic) pigs that are better suited to supply organs for humans.
Using innovative methods developed at USask, the WCVM researchers can breed these transgenic pigs through genetically editing male pig sex cells and allowing them to breed naturally or using those cells for in vitro fertilization. Their goal is to create a quick, alternative way of developing pig organs for transplantation, which would help to address organ transplant waiting lists in Canada. Their approach also emphasizes biosecurity, preventing zoonotic diseases from developing in pigs’ organs.
Visit wcvmtoday.usask.ca or follow @WCVMToday on social media to learn more about the WCVM's research program.
