NorCOMM2 - In vivo models for human disease & drug discovery
Identification of the genes associated with human disease is essential to the development of new prognostic, diagnostic, and treatment options. However, to understand what happens when genes go wrong, we need to understand the normal function of all our genes. This can’t be done using humans, so experimental models similar to humans in their development, physiology, and disease state that are easy to study and genetically manipulate are needed. The mouse meets these criteria so it is the most widely used animal model in biomedical research today.
Synthetic antibody program: commercial reagents and novel therapeutics
Cancer is now, or will shortly become, the number one cause of death in developed countries. Hence, there is an obvious and urgent need to accelerate the development and rational application of new therapies. The central premise of our program is that achieving this goal will require the identification of new therapeutic targets, the rapid development of specific and effective drugs directed against these targets, and the testing of these agents in relevant models of human cancer.
Finding of Rare Disease Genes in Canada (FORGE Canada)
Genetic diseases in children, while often rare, have, in aggregate, an enormous impact on the well-being of Canadian families. Surprisingly, the majority of genes causing these conditions are still unknown. FORGE Canada (Finding of Rare Disease Genes) is a national consortium of clinicians and scientists using next-generation sequencing technology to identify genes responsible for a wide spectrum of rare pediatric-onset disorders present in the Canadian population.
Genetic Determinants of Human Health and Disease: Annotation of Chromosome 7
Website: www.chr7.org
Summary
The Stem Cell Genomics Project
Summary
Stem cells have extraordinary potential to help in the treatment of some of the most intractable diseases - for example, arthritis, diabetes, neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s, and stroke. They are not yet available for this purpose because of lack of basic knowledge about stem cells. Full exploitation of their potential requires understanding of the genetic factors that make them what they are and of how they specify different kinds of cells and tissues in the body.
