Large international study will help select and categorize patients for better clinical trials
A large multi-centre study of more than 1,200 patients provides important predictors of Parkinson’s disease progression, which will allow better candidate selection for clinical trials and more effective therapy development.
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a time to give special attention to a disease that affects approximately 100,000 Canadians. As a centre for both research and clinical treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD), the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) offers many specialized services and opportunities to participate in research to PD patients.
A study by a group of researchers including those from The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University has tested the theory that brain degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) originates in subcortical regions and spreads along neural networks to the cerebral cortex. By analyzing data on PD patients and healthy controls collected over one year, the researchers found that brain regions closely connected to subcortical regions showed the most degeneration over the one-year period in PD patients, and that this happens earlier than previously thought.
Montreal, Quebec and Vancouver, British Columbia – Working together to accelerate research into neurological diseases, three leading players in Canada’s health sciences sector are joining forces in a unique multi-million dollar partnership to create a novel drug development platform that will help advance new therapeutics for some of the most debilitating conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
CQDM and Brain Canada join forces again in the funding of two new research projects to address unmet needs in brain research
CQDM and Brain Canada are proud to announce the funding of two new multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research projects under the second edition of their Focus on Brain strategic initiative. The partners will award a total of $3M to two research teams to develop cutting-edge tools, technologies and platforms designed to accelerate the discovery of new drugs for brain and nervous system disorders.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Michel Desjardins from the University of Montreal and Dr. Heidi McBride from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (MNI) at McGill University have discovered that two genes associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) are key regulators of the immune system, providing direct evidence linking Parkinson's to autoimmune disease.
Using both cellular and mouse models, the team has shown that proteins produced by the two genes, known as PINK1 and Parkin, are required to prevent cells from being detected and attacked by the immune system.
The results of their study, published in the journal Movement Disorders, could also have a major impact on the quality of research on Parkinson’s disease.
Millions of Canadians are affected by diseases of the brain such as ALS, Parkinson’s and brain tumours, for which there are limited treatments and no cures. By 2020, neurological conditions will become the leading cause of death and disability.
The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, is at the forefront of Parkinson’s research and clinical care. Parkinson’s patients are seen at The Neuro’s Movement Disorders Clinic and the Montreal General Hospital. Approximately 100,000 Canadians have Parkinson’s disease.
The Neuro to introduce experimental drug treatment
The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, is at the forefront of Parkinson’s research and clinical care. Parkinson’s patients are seen at The Neuro’s Movement Disorders Clinic and the Montreal General Hospital. Approximately 100,000 Canadians have Parkinson’s disease.
New Rapid-Access Clinic at The Neuro reduces wait time
Scientists from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital in Canada have discovered that two genes linked to hereditary Parkinson’s disease are involved in the early-stage quality control of mitochondria. The protective mechanism, which is reported in The EMBO Journal, removes damaged proteins that arise from oxidative stress from mitochondria.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
November 27, 2012 - Clinician-scientists take a unique, integrated approach that is essential to advancing science and medicine. Problems encountered in the clinic inspire research and new findings from the labs are directly applied to patients’ needs. The integrated model is a hallmark of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, at McGill University and the MUHC and is now being replicated worldwide. Two clinician-scientists at The Neuro have been awarded grants today to further research on Parkinson’s disease and HIV/AIDS.
MONTREAL, October 9, 2012 - Scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, McGill University working with a team at Oxford University have uncovered the genetic defect underlying a group of rare genetic disorders.
