Innovative iPSC Epilepsy Research Receives 2nd Year of Funding
TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2018 /CNW/ - Epilepsy Canada and Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation (TGWHF) are excited to announce significant new funding for ground-breaking iPSC research at the Krembil Research Institute. Your brain under the microscope: the ultimate personalized medicine for epilepsy, has received an Epilepsy Canada research grant of $72,000 for the second year in a row.
Led by Dr. Peter Carlen, the team at the Krembil Research Institute is pushing the boundaries of personalized medicine for patients with intractable (medication resistant) epilepsy, with this project. The goal is to create "cerebral organoids" by encouraging the stem cells from affected patients to self-organize into mini brain structures in a dish. The team will then be able to precision test for effective pharmaceutical treatments rapidly, and safely. Also, potentially by-passing weeks or months of therapy trials for patients in need of an effective treatment for their seizures.
This type of treatment, utilizing Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology (iPSC) is innovative and promising science for the treatment of neurological conditions. Epilepsy Canada, TGWHF and the Krembil Institute are proud to be at the forefront of the work.
Dr. Peter Carlen MD, FRCPC, is Senior Scientist and Head, Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Research Institute and Professor, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Physiology and IBBME at the University of Toronto. He has assembled a first-rate team to work on this project and says, "We will start characterizing cerebral tissue derived from intractable epilepsy patients and age and sex matched controls, probably by early next year (2019)."
Epilepsy Canada is dedicated to positively affecting the lives of those living with epilepsy. It undertakes activities to raise funds to support epilepsy research striving to help the Canadian neurology community find a cure for epilepsy. TGWHF's mission is to raise funds for research, education and the enhancement of patient care at University Health Network.
By partnering together, the two organizations provide greater recognition to the important gifts Epilepsy Canada donors are contributing to epilepsy research at Toronto Western Hospital.
Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation raises funds for research, education and the enhancement of patient care at Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals, as well as the Michener Institute of Education at UHN.
SOURCE Epilepsy Canada
For further information: Gary Collins, President, Epilepsy Canada, [email protected]
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