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Carrier-mediated delivery of therapeutic proteins into the brain

Project Overview

It is estimated that diseases of the brain currently affect over 1.5 billion people worldwide and account for approximately a third of global disease burden. For many neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, autism and epilepsy, the available treatments are focused on symptom relief, rather than a cure. From a therapy standpoint, treating brain disorders is complicated by the fact that the brain is shielded from the rest of the circulation by a biological barrier called the blood-brain-barrier. This barrier protects the brain from unwanted chemicals, but at the same time, prevents drugs from reaching their site of action in the brain. For this grant, Dr. Melnyk and his team are proposing the development of a safe and non-invasive approach to ferry drugs across the blood-brain-barrier, by attaching them to an established carrier molecule that naturally and safely enters the brain. This carrier has been injected into millions of children in its role as a carrier of bacterial components for numerous childhood vaccines. Through their re-engineering of this system, they will deliver curative doses of proteins to specific destinations in the brain to restore a missing functionality. This approach has broad applicability for many neurological diseases and in particular, has great potential to restore function in diseases where the genetic defect responsible for disease is known. They have assembled a multidisciplinary team of researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children to bring this innovative research endeavour all the way from the test-tube to the patient.

Principal Investigator

Roman Melnyk , The Hospital For Sick Children

Team Members

Sheena Josselyn, The Hospital For Sick Children

James Ellis, The Hospital For Sick Children

Eyal Grunebaum, The Hospital For Sick Children

Berge Minassian, The Hospital For Sick Children

Partners and Donors

SickKids Foundation

Project Complete

Carrier-mediated delivery of therapeutic proteins into the brain

  • Grant Type

    Team grants

  • Area of research

    Neurotechnology

  • Disease Area

    Other

  • Competition

    2012 MIRI Team Grants

  • Province

    Ontario

  • Start Date

    2014

  • Total Grant Amount

    $1,662,500

  • Health Canada Contribution

    $831,250

Contact Us

1200 McGill College Avenue
Suite 1600, Montreal, Quebec
H3B 4G7

+1 (514) 989-2989 info@braincanada.ca

Please note all online donations will receive an electronic tax receipt, issued by Brain Canada Foundation.

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Territorial acknowledgement

The offices of Brain Canada Foundation are located on the traditional, ancestral territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka Peoples, a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. We honour and pay respect to elders past, present and emerging, and dedicate ourselves to moving forward in the spirit of partnership, collaboration, and reconciliation. In our work, we focus our efforts on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly those that pertain to improving health for Indigenous Peoples and that focus on advancing our own learning on Indigenous issues.

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Registration number: 89105 2094 RR0001

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  • About
    • What We Do
    • EDI Action Plan
    • Leadership
    • Team
    • Annual Report
    • Publications
    • Careers
  • Brain Conditions
    • One Brain
    • ALS
    • Autism (ASD)
    • Brain Cancer
    • Brain Injury
    • Dementia
    • Epilepsy
    • Mental Illness
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Parkinson’s
    • Stroke
    • More
  • Research
    • Programs
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Program Partners
    • Announcements
  • Impact
    • Research Impact Stories
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Brain Health in Indigenous Communities
    • Women’s Brain Health
    • Mind Over Matter
  • How You Can Help
    • Ways to Give
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Workplace Giving
    • The Great Minds
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