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Facing an epidemic of dementia, PUBlic Professor Series explores, Why is the Brain Important?

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 16:24:32 +0000

It’s a simple question, and yet the answers are a lifetime’s work, and more.

Dr. Robert Sutherland says the the brain is central to many of the problems we are facing in health and society.

Dr. Robert Sutherland, chair of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Department of Neuroscience and director of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, will present the final PUBlic Professor Series talk of the 2023-24 season when he discusses Why is the Brain important? on Thursday, March 28, 7 p.m. at the Sandman Signature Lodge.

While the query seems simple at first glance, it is one that has led Sutherland on a voyage of discovery over the course of a decorated 40-plus year career in neuroscience. Along the way, Sutherland has earned accolades as one of the world’s leading authorities in the study of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and recipient of the Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award by the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science, Sutherland and his team have had several breakthroughs which might someday help discover a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

“My talk is going to be all about the brain, and in particular why the brain is central to a lot of the problems in health and society that we’re experiencing now,” he says. “We’re about to witness an epidemic of dementia that will become the greatest single problem in society and human health.”

Sutherland will address what they know about the prevention and treatment of dementia and describe what he thinks is the future of the brain.

“I’ll also provide information about how to prevent dementia, how it can be treated and how we can avoid the disastrous public health effects that dementia will have,” he says.

A scientist through and through, Sutherland is also an inspiring teacher and mentor — a responsibility he is proud to shoulder.

“Part of what we are charged to do as scientists is to create that next generation of scientists who will carry on the work that still needs to be done,” says Sutherland. “So, the neuroscience torch has been passed — successfully.”

This is the last of the six-part PUBlic Professor Series of talks. Initiated in 2014, the monthly lecture series is designed to spark thought-provoking discussions and bring a diverse group of experts and researchers from the ULethbridge campus right into the community.

Check out the PUBlic Professor Series web page for the 2023/24 talk schedule (including links to videos of previous presentations), to register for priority seating or to join the series mailing list.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge chosen to conduct dosage study for novel Parkinson’s disease formulations

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 17:00:07 +0000

Biopharmaceutical research company GB Sciences’ plant-inspired formulations entering the final stages before first-in-human clinical trials

Gb Sciences , Inc. (OTCQB:GBLX), a leading plant-inspired biopharmaceutical research and development company, has selected the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to complete a dose range study of Gb Sciences’ patent-protected formulations in a rodent model of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Dr. Robert Sutherland, shown here on the left, and his lab will determine the dose range of active ingredients that will be used in human trials and will identify potential side effects.

“Gb Sciences is an innovator in drug discovery and development, and they have promising drug candidates for the treatment of Parkinsonian movement disorders. With the state-of-the-art behavioral measurement methods at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the exceptional innovative programs, this promises to be an outstanding, productive partnership,” says Dr. Robert Sutherland, professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at ULethbridge; Board of Governors Research Chair in Neuroscience; and director of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience.

Gb Sciences plans on filing an Investigational New Drug Application to begin first-in-human clinical trials as early as next year. As the second most common neurodegenerative disease, the market for Parkinson’s disease treatments is expected to grow to $8.8 billion by 2026.

Gb Sciences received U.S. Patent No. 10,653,640 in May 2020 for its proprietary cannabinoid-containing therapeutic mixtures for the treatment of PD. Animal studies conducted by the National Research Council of Canada found that Gb Sciences’ PD formulations achieved statistically significant reductions in the PD-like motor symptoms associated with the loss of dopamine-producing neurons. Initial toxicity studies for these original PD formulas came back with no significant evidence of adverse effects.

Through GbS Global Biopharma, its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, Gb Sciences has signed a contract with ULethbridge to complete required rodent dose response studies. These important studies will determine the dose range of active ingredients that will be used in human trials and will identify potential side effects. These dose response studies are scheduled to begin next month.

“Using rodent models of PD-motor symptoms, we should be able to predict the appropriate dose range and duration of action of Gb Sciences’ PD therapies for its first-in-human trial,” says Sutherland.

“Our drug discovery process has identified ratio-specific mixtures of cannabinoids that achieved the statistically significant reduction of Parkinsonian movement symptoms in an animal model; thus establishing our proof-of-concept for this therapeutic program,” says Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, president and chief science officer of Gb Sciences. “Now, working with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, we are taking a major step forward by testing these cannabinoid ratio-specific formulations to establish the dose range for our first-in-human clinical trial.”

To create Gb Sciences’ novel therapies, the company’s goal is to identify ‘minimum essential mixtures’ that retain the efficacy of whole plant extracts, but with the manufacturing and quality control advantages of single ingredient pharmaceutical products. Gb Sciences uses its novel PhAROS™ (Phytomedical Analytics for Research Optimization at Scale) drug discovery engine’s predictive capabilities, combined with rigorous high throughput screening of potential combinations of these plant-derived compounds in established cellular models of disease to determine which minimum essential mixtures from these plant-based materials may be therapeutically beneficial. These minimum essential mixtures are then validated and refined in animal models, in preparation for the first-in-human trial.

To learn more about Gb Sciences, visit www.gbsciences.com.

About Gb Sciences and GbS Global Biopharma

Gb Sciences, Inc. is a plant-inspired, biopharmaceutical research and development company creating patented, disease-targeted formulations of cannabis- and other plant-inspired therapeutic mixtures for the prescription drug market through its Canadian subsidiary, GbS Global Biopharma, Inc.

Research group patenting urinary analysis to diagnose concussion and enhance recovery protocols

trevor.kenney — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 22:21:30 +0000

Sport-related concussion (SRC) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become one of the most important issues in sport, affecting everyone from multi-million-dollar athletes to children playing at the minor level. From health to economics, SRC now influences the way games are played and governed and yet, the actual tools available to diagnose concussions are limited and mainly subjective.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, left, and Tony Montina.

Researchers at the Universities of Lethbridge and Calgary are looking to insert objectivity into that equation with a non-invasive test that examines specific metabolites in a player’s urine. The results not only indicate whether a player is concussed but determine when a player can return to sport and even possibly aid in personalized therapeutic strategies to enhance recovery.

Drs. Gerlinde Metz (Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge), Chantel Debert (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, Alberta Health Services) and Tony Montina (BSc ’08, MSc ’10, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Director Magnetic Resonance Facility, U of L) have an approved provisional patent that allows them to focus on a panel of 18 specific urinary metabolites, which together give a biomarker signature for diagnosing SRC.

“Based on a little drop of urine, we can tell if someone has had a traumatic brain injury with very high accuracy,” says Metz, Board of Governors Research Chair in Neuroscience. “With further testing, we can also say if someone has recovered from their injury and is able to move on with their lives.”

Urine samples, which are fast and simple to collect, are analyzed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics, which provides a quick and quantitative measurement of the metabolites. The changes observed can indicate the difference between a healthy brain and one suffering the effects of trauma. Metabolomic analysis has proven to be useful in identifying biomarkers for various conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, brain cancer, epilepsy and more, but it has yet to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for SRC.

The ramifications of such a test could literally be game-changing, allowing athletes to be tested quickly and diagnosed with much higher accuracy than traditional subjective tests. Montina, who runs the NMR facility at the U of L, sees the clinical translation of the technology in three parts.

“The first is the immediate, acute phase that most professional sports would be very interested in because it gives that quick diagnosis,” he says. “Our goal is to take this panel of metabolites and eventually develop a field test that would allow for evaluation on site.”

The second phase of the testing is to assess recovery, comparing biomarkers in the metabolites to baseline levels and those in the acute phase, thereby giving a reliable diagnosis for return to play.

“The third aspect we’ve been looking at involves rehabilitation strategies and personalized interventions,” says Montina. “Essentially, it’s looking for biomarkers that indicate the effectiveness of therapy. We’d look for changes in levels to tell us how well a therapy is working, allowing for targeted therapeutics to speed up the recovery process for athletes so they can get back to their sport.”

While urinary analysis has been used to identify one metabolite or biomarker to help diagnose TBI, their group’s use of NMR technology has identified a full panel of metabolites that offer the most predictive fingerprint for TBI.

“By finding these multi-level signatures, we believe these are much more reliable for practical use,” adds Metz.

The next phase for the group is to secure additional funding as they seek licensing opportunities with biotech companies to continue testing and finalize the patent. Their initial work has included samples primarily from 16-year-old male hockey players. Eventually, with more samples and testing, they expect to create standardized curves that represent baseline and acute biomarker levels across gender and age.

“We’re very early in this process and very excited about its potential,” says Metz. “We want our tests to work effectively for males, females, different ages and different neurological conditions. With collaborators, such as Dr. Debert, who have access to different patient populations, we’ll really be able to cover more ground.”

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Facing an epidemic of dementia, PUBlic Professor Series explores, Why is the Brain Important?

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