Research 2019
The major aims of this project are:
1) to evaluate the functional role of sacsin at the synaptic level, in particular its involvement in the control of calcium fluxes in Purkinje neurons at the postsynaptic space;
2) to strengthen the evidence of efficacy of an off-label drug regulating calcium homeostasis in ARSACS, by conducting a preclinical trial at post- symptomatic stage in Sacs-/- mice with a chronic treatment;
3) to dissect the mechanism by which this drug rescues ataxia and Purkinje cell degeneration in Sacs-/- mice, by evaluating effects on deregulated calcium homeostasis, NF bundling or faulty mitochondrial transport, integrated with multi-omics approaches.
Duration: One year
Funding : $100,000
Contact:
Dr. Francesca Maltecca , Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan Italy.
This project uses the sacsin mutant mouse and mice lacking SARM1 to ask whether the progression of the cell loss in ARSACS can be slowed or prevented by removing SARM1. A positive outcome would make ARSACS a strong candidate for this therapeutic strategy.
Duration : 18 months
Grant: $144,689
Contact:
Dr. Thomas L. Schwarz, Professor, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center Children’s Hospital, Boston and Dept.of Neurobiology
Harvard Medical School CLSB 12-130, 3 Blackfan Street, Boston, MA 02115
Tel:(617)-919-2219 (office) or (617)-919-2264 (lab)
Aim 1. Engineering cells with tagged SACS for purification
Aim 2. Purification and determination of SACS structure
Aim3: To purify and determine the structure of Canadian SACS mutants
Duration : 2 year project
Grant: $74,000 in year 1
Contact:
Dr. Walid A. Houry, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Toronto
661 University Avenue
Mars Centre, West Tower, Room 1612
Toronto, ON Canada M5G 1M1
Tel: 416 946 7141; Fax: 416 978 8548
Email: walid.houry@utoronto.ca
The objectives of the project will be published at a later date
Duration: 3 year funded project
Grant: 32,827 pounds
Contact:
Dr.Paul Chapple, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology
Centre for Endocrinology Barts and The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry
1st Floor North ,John Vane Science Building,Charterhouse Square
London, EC1M 6BQ
T: +44 (0) 20 7882 6242
E: j.p.chapple@qmul.ac.uk
Aim 1 Identifying druggable Targets for potential ARSACS treatment
Aim 2 Characterize pathophysiology for future druggable target development
Duration : 2nd year of the funded project
Grant: $75,000
Contacts:
Dr. Alanna Watt,Department of Biology McGill University Bellini Life Sciences Bldg.
3469 Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec Canada H3G 0B1 Office: Rm. 265 | Lab: Rm. 257
Tel: (514)-398-2806; Fax: (514)-398-5069; Email: alanna.watt@mcgill.ca
Aim 1 Identifying druggable Targets for potential ARSACS treatment
Aim 2 Characterize pathophysiology for future druggable target development
Duration : 2nd year of the funded project
Grant: $50,000
Contact:
Dr. Anne McKinney, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University Bellini Life Sciences Bldg
3469 Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec Canada H3G 0B1
Tel: (514)-398-5685; Fax: (514)-398-2045; Email: anne.mckinney@mcgill.ca
Aim 1: Sacsin’s role in dendritic spines morphology
Aim 1.1. Assess the impact of sacsin loss on dendritic spines morphology
Aim 1.2. Assess the role of sacsin partners on dendritic spine morphology.
Aim 1.3. Study spine morphology in Sacs-/- mice.
Aim 1.4. Assess the role of sacsin on receptor internalization
Grant $100,000
Contact
Dr. Bernard Brais
Dr. Bernard Brais, co-director of the neuromuscular group of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
3801 University Street Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4
Tel:(514)-398-3334; Email: bernard.brais@mcgill.ca
The goal of this proposal is to validate the misregulation of Tau in ARSACS and establish a platform from which to explore therapeutic targeting of proteins involved in tau pathology as a treatment for ARSACS.
Grant : $98,758
Contact:
Dr. Anthony Hickey, Director of UNC Catalyst for Rare Diseases, University of North Carolina
120 Mason Farm Road CB# 7356, Chapel Hill NC 27599
Tel: (919) 962-9819
The goal is to develop small molecules that reverse the cellular phenotype of ARSACS into a drug that would stop the progression of the disease and/or lead to clinical improvement.
Grant: $160,000
Contact
Dr.Michel Bouvier, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC)
IRIC | Université de Montréal C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal (Québec) H3C 3J7
Tel: (514)-343-6319 ; Email: michel.bouvier@umontreal.ca
To obtain preclinical proof-of-concept for ARSACS treatments based on:
1) a protein/gene replacement approach and
2) drug treatment using HDAC inhibitors.
Grant: $100,000
Contact
Dr. Benoit Gentil, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University
475 Pine Avenue West, room 210, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4
Tel: 514-398-4184 ext 00102 email:benoit.gentil@mcgill.ca
