Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (the deadliest form of brain cancer) is associated with poor survival rates (approximately 12-15 months from the time of diagnosis). This is due to the fact that most cases of GBM are resistant to current standards of care. As a result, novel effective treatment options are highly desirable. It has recently been shown that the combination of cannabinoids (such as THC or CBD) with the standard of care chemotherapy agent, temozolomide, demonstrates promise in the treatment of animal models of GBM.

Triozan™ is a safe, biodegradable and biocompatible hydrophilic and highly quaternized biopolymer with advantageous physicochemical properties that enables an efficient encapsulation and protection of drug molecules against degradation while simultaneously maintaining therapeutic integrity. We propose to encapsulate three drug candidates into nanogels formed from Triozan to enhance their therapeutic application and overcome multiple barriers such as multi-drug resistance phenomenon present in bacteria and in cancer cells as well as biological barriers such as the hematoencephalic barrier

With rapid and cost-effective genome sequencing becoming the norm, many causal mutations for inherited genetic diseases are being rapidly determined. The discovery of new genes for inherited diseases is enabling rapid genetic and chemical genetic platforms to be used to discover drug targets and drugs/drug-like molecules as potential treatment options for patients with inherited diseases.

Yeast is arguably the most important industrial microorganism in the world, playing a critical role in the fermentation of food and beverage products, as well as cellular factory for production of biofuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. In order to produce such a range of products efficiently and economically, specialized yeast must be optimized for each task. Current tools for yeast optimization are lacking, especially in the sectors of food, beverage, and feed, where consumers demand non-GMO yeast products.

Evaluating the medicinal use of cannabinoids represents an area of massive untapped potential, especially considering its upcoming legalization in Canada. Currently, a significant proportion of medical cannabis research is based on self-reported use and outcomes, rather than carefully-designed research studies. Here, we aim to better understand the impact of cannabis administration in adults with obesity or tobacco dependence and its potential as an opioid-sparing medicine, using randomized controlled clinical trials.

In this grant, the consortium will develop new methods to characterize nanoparticles prepared with a proprietary polymer. This study will enable the fabrication and characterization of better performing nano-sized particles encapsulating therapeutic molecules, commonly called nanomedicines. This study will allow to monitor how the polymers self-assemble into nanoobjects under different conditions, and to study how the nanoparticles perform in various environments. The project will develop and validate methods to streamline the development of nanoparticles with a variety of characteristics.

During human clinical trials, a large percentage of candidate drugs fail because they are unsafe or ineffective. Even when preclinical cell and animal studies seem positive, problems occur because drugs tested with these models are often not predictive of what happens in humans. Many drugs, including non-cardiovascular drugs, target ion channels of the heart (membrane proteins through which heart cells conduct electrical currents), which can potentially result in lethal arrhythmias.