Publications

“Glucagon-like-protein-2 stimulates lacteal contractility and enhances chylomicron transport in the presence of an intact enteric nervous system
1030 417 DaCosta Lab

Our recent paper, ““Glucagon-like-protein-2 stimulates lacteal contractility and enhances chylomicron transport in the presence of an intact enteric nervous system,” was published in Gastro Hep Advances (June 2024). Background and Aims: Secretion and transport of intestinal chylomicrons (CM) via lymphatics to the blood circulation is stimulated primarily by fat ingestion, whereas several other factors have also been shown to play important roles in regulating CM secretion rate. Amongst these factors, active regulation of lymphatic pumping has not been appreciated to date. The gut peptide and intestinal growth factor GLP-2 has emerged as a robust enhancer of intestinal lipid mobilization and…

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A handheld device for intra-cavity and ex vivo fluorescence imaging of breast conserving surgery margins with 5-aminolevulinic acid
1030 678 DaCosta Lab

Our recent paper, “A handheld device for intra-cavity and ex vivo fluorescence imaging of breast conserving surgery margins with 5-aminolevulinic acid,” was published in the Biomedical Engineering Journal (June 2024). Visualization of cancer during breast conserving surgery (BCS) remains challenging; the BCS reoperation rate is reported to be 20-70% of patients. An urgent clinical need exists for real-time intraoperative visualization of breast carcinomas during BCS. We previously demonstrated the ability of a prototype imaging device to identify breast carcinoma in excised surgical specimens administration following 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) administration. However, this prototype device was not designed to image the surgical…

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Customizable optical tissue phantom platform for characterization of fluorescence imaging device sensitivity
1030 639 DaCosta Lab

Our recent paper, “Customizable optical tissue phantom platform for characterization of fluorescence imaging device sensitivity,” was published in the Journal of Biomedical Optics (August 2023). Optical tissue phantoms serve as inanimate and stable reference materials used to calibrate, characterize, standardize, and test biomedical imaging instruments. Although various types of solid tissue phantoms have been described in the literature, current phantom models are limited in that they do not have a depth feature that can be adjusted in real-time, they cannot be adapted to other applications, and their fabrication can be laborious and costly. Our goal was to develop an optical…

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Quantitative Intravital Imaging for Real-time Monitoring of Pancreatic Tumor Cell Hypoxia and Stroma in an Orthotopic Mouse Model
400 506 DaCosta Lab

Our recent publication, “Quantitative Intravital Imaging for Real-time Monitoring of Pancreatic Tumor Cell Hypoxia and Stroma in an Orthotopic Mouse Model” was chosen to be the cover of Science Advances! Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with few successful treatment options. Recent evidence demonstrates that tumor hypoxia promotes pancreatic tumor invasion, metastasis, and therapy resistance. However, little is known about the complex relationship between hypoxia and the pancreatic tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we developed a novel intravital fluorescence microscopy platform with an orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic cancer to study tumor cell hypoxia within the TME in vivo,…

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Exploring the merits of research performance measures that comply with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and strategies to overcome barriers of adoption: qualitative interviews with administrators and researchers
225 225 DaCosta Lab

An advisory group at UHN applied an evidence- and consensus-based process to derive measures from published research, and national and international best practices, then engaged researchers and research leaders across all of the institutes through a two-round Delphi survey.  This approach identified measures that reflect the relevance of the research program, funding, innovative outputs, publications, collaboration, recognition, and challenges to research productivity. The group also examined current assessment rubrics at the institutes for these measures to identify gaps and areas for improvement. The resulting publication: “Exploring the merits of research performance measures that comply with the San Francisco Declaration on…

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DORA-compliant measures of research quality and impact to assess the performance of researchers in biomedical institutions: Review of published research, international best practice and Delphi survey
225 225 DaCosta Lab

Shortly before the pandemic, the research institutes at UHN signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)—a set of principles aimed at enhancing and modernizing research assessment. DORA promotes the evaluation of the quality and impact of research, and the elimination of using journal-based metrics (e.g., Journal Impact Factor) for decisions related to hiring, appointment, annual review, and promotion. An advisory group at UHN developed measures by which to report and assess research activity, outputs, and impact in a recent publication, “DORA-compliant measures of research quality and impact to assess the performance of researchers in biomedical institutions: Review of published…

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Assessing the Accuracy of Bioluminescence Image-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Orthotopic Pancreatic Tumors Using a Small Animal Irradiator
983 970 DaCosta Lab

Our recent publication in Radiation Research, “Assessing the Accuracy of Bioluminescence Image-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Orthotopic Pancreatic Tumors Using a Small Animal Irradiator” is a collaboration between the DaCosta Lab and Dr. Robert Weersink. In this preclincal study, Dr. Sara Rapic (former Post-doctoral fellow) and Timothy Samuel (Ph.D. candidate) demonstrated the improved accuracy of using 3-dimensional bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to deliver targeted high dose radiotherapy in orthotopic mouse models of pancreatic cancer. This BLI image-guided precision in the delivery of radiation therapy to pancreatic tumors in vivo ensures the precision of the treatment using a novel small animal irradiator. This methodology allows us to…

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Intraoperative Fluorescence Imaging with Aminolevulinic Acid Decets Grossly Occult Breast Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial is published in Breast Cancer Research
970 1030 DaCosta Lab

After a lengthy journey, our paper “Intraoperative fluorescence imaging with aminolevulinic acid detects grossly occult breast cancer: a phase II randomized controlled trial” has been published in Breast Cancer Research as an open access article. The journal is widely read globally by general surgeons and breast cancer clinicians, so we are pleased it will receive broad clinical exposure and impact specifically in (breast) surgical oncology. This trial, led by Dr. DaCosta, was conducted at The Princess Margaret Cancer Center (Toronto, Canada) and demonstrates the importance of strong collaborations between our (imaging) scientists and clinicians at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center.  For…

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Dr. DaCosta to Deliver Keynote Presentation at St Michael’s 4th Annual Life Sciences Career Symposium
1000 500 DaCosta Lab

The St. Michael’s Hospital Research Student Association’s annual Life Sciences Career Symposium aims to connect trainees to distinguished experts in the Life Sciences. This year’s Symposium will take place on July 9th, 2021, featuring keynote speakers Dr. Samantha Yammine and Dr. Ralph DaCosta. Dr.DaCosta will headline the Biotechnology and Innovation session (1-3PM), sharing his experiences on his journey to becoming an academic scientist and entrepreneur in cancer imaging. Register here

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Dr. DaCosta participates in Annual 2021 MBP Career Symposium
806 579 DaCosta Lab

The annual MBP Symposium (which combines the James Lepock Memorial (JLM) Symposium and the annual MBP Alumni Night) is an important MBP event that provides an opportunity for MBP students to present their research in a conference setting. The MBP Symposium fosters scientific debate across disciplines, streams and institutes. MBP students have the opportunity to showcase their research in the form of either a scientific poster or oral presentation at the Symposium, and best presenters are recognized with merit awards. This event also featured keynote addresses from both local and international experts in the field of Medical Biophysics. This event…

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