In vitro validation of candidate therapeutic targets for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder of the lung, which is characterized by shortness of breath and progressive loss in lung function, and one that affects 2.6 million Canadians and 380 million people worldwide. The current therapies are very imprecise and none modifies disease progression or mortality. Therefore, there is a pressing need to discover new therapeutic targets that may be important molecular drivers of airways disease in COPD. The goal of this project is to understand how two genetic targets discovered using genomics and computational biology (i.e. FAM13A and PTCH1) play a role in the development of COPD. By understanding the relationship between the biology of these gene targets, we may be able to provide valuable information to enhance the drug discovery and delivery process for patients with COPD in Canada and worldwide.

Faculty Supervisor:

Chinten Lim

Student:

Anthony Tam

Partner:

Providence Health Care

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

Program: