狐狸视频

U of T and Toronto hospitals mount research response to monkeypox

A lab technician look at samples under a fume hood in U of Ts CL3 lab
(Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

The 狐狸视频 and its partner hospitals, including Sunnybrook Research Institute, Unity Health Toronto and the University Health Network, are leading a rapid research response to the global monkeypox outbreak to better understand disease symptoms, genetic evolution of the virus and transmission risks, among other factors.

The research effort is centred in the  (EPIC), which includes the university, its high-containment lab and five Toronto hospital research institutes. 

Monkeypox has infected 300 people in Canada since May and more than 5,000 worldwide.

鈥淲e鈥檝e worked hard to link together Toronto鈥檚 broad expertise and research capacity so that our community can effectively respond to infectious challenges,鈥 says , director, partnerships and strategy at EPIC. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been thrilling to see how quickly the partners came together to respond to this unexpected emergence of monkeypox in Canada.鈥

The research response leverages the university鈥檚 Combined Containment Level 3 Unit 鈥 a lab equipped to safely and securely study infectious pathogens 鈥 and partnerships among Toronto hospitals and community-based groups.

Projects include:

  • An observational cohort study to understand the range of symptoms associated with monkeypox infection, viral shedding and transmission risks as well as the social, economic and psychosocial impacts of infection
  • An immunological study to understand how the immune system responds to infection
  • A genetics study to examine how the virus is evolving and how changes in the virus鈥檚 genetic code correspond with changes in its ability to cause disease
  • Transmission studies to understand the potential and risks of surface and aerosol transmission, and transmission from people who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic

Monkeypox is caused by a poxvirus closely related to the smallpox virus. Until recently, monkeypox infections had been limited to people living in central and western Africa and travelers who visited those regions. As of June 30, Public Health Ontario reported a total of 77 cases in Ontario, including 63 in Toronto. Although the virus can infect anyone, all cases in Ontario have so far involved males.

鈥淥ne of the key learnings from the history of infectious disease outbreaks is that community engagement from the very beginning is critical,鈥 says Darrell Tan, a co-principal investigator and operational co-lead with Sharmistha Mishra of EPIC鈥檚 monkeypox rapid response efforts. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we are taking part in community meetings where we鈥檙e working with different local groups to respond. Already there鈥檚 some amazing advocacy, actions, knowledge sharing and collaboration that has come out of these meetings that have shaped the research questions we hope to answer.鈥

Tan and Mishra are both associate professors in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and infectious disease physicians at St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, where some of Toronto鈥檚 first patients with monkeypox were identified and cared for.

The joint effort is the first co-ordinated response from Canadian researchers to address the current monkeypox outbreak and paves the way for future collaborations with other Canadian and international groups. The data generated from the projects in the coming months will help inform the province and country鈥檚 public health response to the outbreak and could also inform and support efforts in other countries where the virus is endemic.          

鈥淭he speed with which this research initiative came together is a testament to the strength of EPIC and its partnerships and their ability to pivot and respond rapidly to new infectious threats like monkeypox,鈥 says Leah Cowen, U of T鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

The monkeypox rapid research response is led by EPIC in partnership with the .

EPIC is a U of T  that brings together infectious disease experts at the university and five hospital research partners 鈥 the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Unity Health Toronto and University Health Network 鈥 to facilitate an integrated and innovative response to infectious diseases in an effort to help prevent future pandemics.

Temerty/EPIC