The principal objective of this proposal is to discover novel drugs to treat colon cancers. Currently colon cancer is a huge medical problem and there are many disadvantages to current drug therapies. These disadvantages include their ineffectiveness to completely eradicate cancers, causing toxic side effects and the development of multidrug resistance. A group of compounds […]

Dr. Potter has recently begun exploring the impact that probiotics (beneficial bacteria found in some food sources such as probiotic yogurt and kefir) have on anxiety and depression. Other researchers have shown that probiotic bacteria exert a significant effect on anxiety and depression-like behaviours in animals. A few studies have extended these findings to humans. […]

Relapses in cancer usually result in the tumour becoming resistant to chemotherapy. This leaves a treatment gap that needs to be filled for these patients. One such cancer is triple negative breast cancer, this type of breast cancer is very aggressive with a high death rate. Dr. Sandra Dunn’s research group want to find new […]

Prostate cancer is the more common cancer affected men in developed countries. Epidemiological data suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may prevent prostate cancer initiation and progression. However, these data do not decipher which omega-3 fatty acid presents the more potent anticancer properties. SCF Pharma has developed pure and highly bioavailable omega-3 fatty acids monoglycerides. Interestingly, […]

Screening spontaneous reporting (SR) or electronic health records (EHR) data sets for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) has become an important component of drug safety. Much methodological work has been historically done on SR data, however, novel approaches are continually being suggested which merit critical review. Thus, we will first investigate some of these approaches as […]

Pertussis or whooping cough is caused by the strict human pathogen B. pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis and is a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening respiratory tract illness when it occurs in unprotected infants. Despite the introduction of acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines and great initial success of the immunization program, pertussis outbreaks were reported in adolescents and […]

NovoBind, in partnership with Dr. Finlay will determined the efficacy of a number of novel molecules capable of neutralizing various pathogens including enterobacteriaceae. These studies will demonstrate the mechanism of action and viability of a new approach to pathogen control. These key assays which characterize the efficacy of our technology in an in-vitro setting will guide their […]

The requirement for dissolution testing (both routine sample and method development) is increasing for all of the current and future programs at Accucaps and is a regulatory requirement for most oral pharmaceutical products. The need for access to capacity and development capabilities for dissolution must reach beyond Accucaps. For these reasons, a collaboration with Dr […]

The Probiotics and Mental Health Research Lab in the Psychology Department at Acadia University is currently involved in exciting and innovative research examining the benefits that probiotics (a type of beneficial bacteria found in the human digestive tract as well as in certain foods) may provide to individuals living with psychological conditions such as anxiety, […]

Over 5000 rare genetic diseases collectively affect 1 in 12 Canadians. For these disorders about 10% of patients share a common mutation type that introduces a premature termination codon (PTC) in the gene and results in truncated and non-functional protein. The previously found PTC suppressors have limited effect or unacceptable side effects. The goal of […]

DHEA is a major neurosteroids precursor, and a decrease in its serum levels have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease. Little is known about steroid hormones localization and levels in the major functional areas of the human brain and which enzymes are involved in their synthesis and inactivation. We will investigate steroids levels […]

The proposed project aims at optimizing new antivirals to fight influenza. Current antivirals, which target proteins of the virus, suffer from severe resistance owing to mutations in the virus. Our group has identified some enzymes in the human lung that are critical for the maturation of the influenza virus. By blocking these enzymes, we expect […]