Vaccine industry is evolving towards more efficient manufacturing systems. Adenovirus vectored vaccines are among new promising approaches for more efficient vaccines design and production. Recombinant Ad (rAd) can be used as gene deliver vector carrying different antigens for delivery into Ag-presenting cells (APC) eliciting a targeted immune response. Alternatively, antigens can be exposed on the rAd capsid, thus presenting the antigen to the immune system. Ad-vectored vaccines are safe, stable, have a broad tropism and have a large insert capacity and can be delivered orally.

The goal of this Mitacs research proposal study is to develop and apply experimental methodology for transdermal delivery of bone-targeting peptide hormone drugs. We aim to deliver these compounds using an appropriate hydrophilic-hydrophobic Diffusimax liposomal drug delivery cream base to anatomically superficial bone, at the sites of stress fractures (also known as “shin-splints”) in order to trigger bone repair, reduce pain burden, and to minimize possible side effects if those drugs were used systemically.

Egg yolk contains IgY antibodies that target various infectious disease and food allergens. IGY Inc is a company focused on utilizing chicken immune system for antibody production. IgY antibody contains 0.64% of total wet egg yolk, after cracking each egg IGY Inc generates 60-70g of liquid egg white which has a low commercial value. Egg white is a rich source of dietary protein and also known for its biological activities. Therefore the primary objective of this study is to develop a pragmatic technique to hydrolyze egg white to produce peptides with biological activity.

Despite the high prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel diseases (IBD) in industrialized countries, particularly in Canada, the mechanisms controlling these debilitating gastrointestinal pathologies remain poorly understood. IBD is though to arise from an uncontrolled immune response to the intestinal microbiota, inducing a persistent inflammatory reaction in the gut. Death of epithelial cells and loss of epithelial barrier function are posited as key pathogenic events enabling bacterial translocation and the establishment of chronic inflammation.

The proposed project will explore variations in the whole brain after 1 year of treatment that may exist between those who are taking an injectable antipsychotic versus those who are taking an oral antipsychotic in a cohort of first-episode of psychosis. All patients are treated in a naturalistic, early intervention setting at the Douglas Institute in Montreal, Canada. Janssen will benefit from the proposed project as it will help determine the benefits, if any, for prescribing an injectable earlier on in treatment,
namely related to brain tissue change.

Poor drug accumulation at tumor sites negatively affects the efficacy of many anti-cancer therapeutics. Development of non-invasive strategies that can effectively monitor drug biodistribution is important, especially given the increasing number and complexity of nanotherapeutic agents in clinical development. The use of positron emission tomography in conjunction with a radiolabeled drug delivery system has the potential to achieve accelerated clinical translation. Merrimack Pharmaceuticals focuses on the development of nanotherapeutic platforms for cancer therapy and imaging.

Pertussis, caused by the strict human pathogen B. pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis, is a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening respiratory tract illness when it occurs in unprotected infants. Despite the introduction of acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines and great initial success of the immunization program, pertussis outbreaks were reported in adolescents and adults in Canada since 1993. This trend was demonstrated as shift in pertussis epidemiology from infants and young children.