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Drug discovery

UPEI Researchers Collaborate on Novel ALS Therapy

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A team of researchers from the University of Prince Edward Island is working with partners at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and Neurodyn Life Sciences Inc. to develop a novel therapy to slow or potentially halt the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Led by Dr. Andrew Bateman, the project aims to explore the neuroprotective properties of granulins to counteract the toxic effects of the TDP-43 protein involved in disease progression. The project has received $881,122 in funding from the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM) and Brain Canada.

Key Takeaways:

  • The project, led by Dr. Andrew Bateman, aims to develop a novel therapy to slow or potentially halt ALS progression by exploring the neuroprotective properties of granulins.
  • The researchers will use different granulin combinations and two different methods to develop therapeutic formulations.
  • Dr. Jay Penney's lab will test granulin formulations using microglia, while Dr. Andrew Tasker's lab will test the most promising formulations in an animal model of ALS.
  • Dr. Tasker noted that current ALS drug therapy is limited in effectiveness and that the goal of this project is to find a way to slow or stop the progression of the disease.
  • The project was one of five large-scale collaborative research projects that received funding totalling $5.4 million from CQDM and Brain Canada.

Statistics:

  • $881,122: the amount of funding received by the project from the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM) and Brain Canada.
  • $5.4 million: the total amount of funding received by the five large-scale collaborative research projects from CQDM and Brain Canada.
  • $2,452,745: the amount of funding provided by the Government of Quebec, administered by CQDM.
  • $2,961,693: the additional support provided by Brain Canada, through the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF).

Sources:

  • UPEI news release, Nov. 1
  • CQDM news release, Nov. 1 (https://cqdm.org/en/news-and-events/cqdm-and-brain-canada-invest-over-5-4m-to-drive-neuroscience-innovation-in-canada/)
  • Brain Canada news release, Nov. 1 (https://braincanada.ca/about-media-centre/news/cqdm-brain-canada-invest-over-5-4m-drive-neuroscience-innovation-canada)

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