Cystic Fibrosis Research Gets Wet

Check out this article in the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/article/194237 To learn how muscles process energy, doctor studies top-flight swimmers Greg Wells has always been drawn to water. The researcher at the Hospital for Sick Children was a top swimmer in his day, competing at the international level. He's still at the pool, but this time he's hoping that tests performed on top-flight swimmers will help improve the lives of those living with cystic fibrosis. "I've always been involved in sports and the importance of being physically fit," says Wells, who is also an accomplished cyclist and runner. "I guess it isn't unusual that I'm hoping a lot of answers may lie in muscles, nutrition and the training of top-flight athletes." Research conducted at SickKids hospital has shown that children with CF who exercise regularly have the slowest rate of decline. However, kids with CF have a hard time producing lactic acid in their muscles, which decreases physical performance, especially in girls. Wells and his team have been busy analyzing volunteer swimmers – using blood tests and magnetic resonance technology – to help show how muscles process energy. For the past 18 months, athletes from the Toronto Swim Club have been jumping into a University of Toronto pool to help with the research. They're top swimmers – some may qualify for the Olympic Games – and they're grateful for the chance to help others while they train. "I'm lucky," says Andrea Jules, 16, who has been swimming competitively for eight years. "I'm healthy and I'm doing something I really love." Wells, who used to be a coach for the Toronto Swim Club organization, explained to the volunteers the difficulties people living with CF face each day, and Jules says she is pleased knowing that she and her teammates are helping his research. Philip Calder, a 16-year-old living with CF, is also part of the study and undergoes the same testing as the swimmers. A strong athlete who plays competitive lacrosse and hockey, Calder says his data is used for comparison with the swimmers. "Greg's a good guy, and I know he's trying to help," says Calder. "I hope he finds something." The teenager, who just earned his G1 driver's licence, was chosen because of his physical fitness – he loves being active and works out every day. Wells, who holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, hopes his findings will result in a better understanding of the disease, ultimately increasing and improving the quality of life of those with CF. "CF is traditionally thought of as a lung disease, but I'm bringing in the concept of muscle and that it can be altered through diet and exercise," Wells says. "By looking at these top athletes, I'm raising the bar and looking at a full range of what's possible." CF is an incurable hereditary disease caused by a gene mutation that results in frequent lung infections and ultimately makes breathing difficult. The disease affects the entire body, limiting growth, digestion and reproduction. The median age of survival is 36. In 1989, SickKids researchers discovered the gene that is responsible for CF and made dramatic treatment improvements. Wells says he's proud to be associated with all the research that has gone on at the hospital, but his work concentrating on muscle function takes him and his team in an altogether different direction. "The work we're doing is bringing us onto another exciting avenue," he says. "We're very optimistic." Wells is also busy outside of work. He was part of a national championship in water polo and twice completed the world's toughest marathon, 1,000 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle at Nanisvik, Nunavut, and recently completed the 10,500-km Tour d'Afrique bicycle race. "Sometimes I think I'm just too busy, but I love what I do," he says. "This research has really become a part of my life and I'm optimistic will have some solid results."

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