Discovery of Endocannabinoid modulating compounds for Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics development

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia which worsens over time. Current therapeutic against Alzheimer’s disease provides only symptomatic treatment. This limited effectiveness provides us with an opportunity to direct our research efforts towards developing new agents to prevent or retard the disease. Studies have shown that very small amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical found in marijuana, can slow the production of Amyloid beta (A?) protein. This protein is found to be the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and a key contributor in its progression. Our study aims at removing the psychoactive component from marijuana, retaining it therapeutic part and screening those compounds to find a potent drug against Alzheimer’s disease.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kagan Kerman

Student:

Partner:

Lupos (Canada) Biotechnology Inc.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto Scarborough

Program: