Multiple ALS projects at The Neuro awarded funding

Program brings together multidisciplinary teams with expertise in various areas of neurodegenerative disease

Researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) make up a large part of eight projects funded by ALS Canada and the Brain Canada Foundation as part of their 2020 Discovery Grant Program, which brings together multidisciplinary research teams with expertise in various areas of ALS and neurodegenerative diseases to investigate critical areas of disease processes and clinical care.

The research initiatives will use basic, clinical and translational approaches to explore the genetic causes of ALS, identify key biomarkers, pathways for future therapies and optimize care to improve the quality of life for people affected by this devastating disease.

Projects involving researchers at The Neuro include:

• How do mutations in CHCHD10 cause ALS? $125,000 awarded to Gary Armstrong, in collaboration with Eric Shoubridge.
   
• How does loss of normal function of DNAJC7 lead to ALS? $125,000 awarded to Martin Duennwald, Western University in collaboration with Sali Farhan.
   
• Enhancing a clinical trial of enoxacin in ALS through addition of biomarker analysis and better monitoring of safety. $125,000 awarded to Dr. Angela Genge, in collaboration with Eran Hornstein, Weizmann Institute of Science.
   
• Can an interdisciplinary approach to mindfulness improve the quality of life for people with ALS and their primary caregivers? $121,950 awarded to Dr. Genge, in collaboration with Francesco Pagnini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and, Lana Kim McGeary, Antonietta Vitale, Nathalie Magnan, Kendra Berry, Maura Fisher, Kalyna Franko, and Dr. Rami Massie.
   
• Can a novel metabolic pathway serve as both a biomarker of disease progression and a pathway to treatment? $125,000 awarded to Dr. Jasna Kriz, CERVO Brain Research Centre at Université Laval, in collaboration with Dr. Nicolas Dupré, CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Dr. Genge.

The research initiatives were selected following a rigorous peer-reviewed grant competition that engaged an international panel in evaluating projects grounded in scientific excellence and with the potential to quickly advance the field of ALS research.

“Discovery Grants play a critical role in our quest to effectively treat ALS by filling important knowledge gaps in our understanding of the disease. Through these novel avenues, we continue to solve the complex puzzle that is ALS,” said Dr. David Taylor, VP Research at the ALS Society of Canada. “These investments also provide an environment that supports ALS research excellence in Canada, which is a critical piece of the global effort to create a future without ALS.”

Source: ALS Canada.