Untangling the Complexity of the Degenerating Brain
Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are a devastating medical, emotional and economic burden for Canadians. Although researchers have studied these diseases for decades, the discovery of new treatments has been hampered by our limited understanding of what causes them.
Previous genetic studies provided some insights into how cells degenerate and cause disease. But in many cases, the link between a single genetic factor and a disease is unclear. Instead, one or several genetic risks can make it more likely a person will develop one of these diseases in their lifetime. Untangling this complexity is essential to our ability to develop therapeutic solutions to treat these devastating diseases.
Dr. Maxime Rousseaux, Canada Research Chair in the Personalized Genomics of Neurodegeneration, is trying to close this gap by employing genome editing and genome-wide screening technologies to better understand which common genetic pathways go awry in these diseases. By picking apart these risk factors and better understanding how they drive disease at the cellular level, Rousseaux and his research team will be better able to classify disorders. Ultimately, this will help physicians treat the disorders.
This research will help the medical community and patients across Canada by defining the significance of genetic variants that are currently not well understood. The information that Rousseaux and his team are collecting will also shed important light on the role of genetic variants in disease pathology and set the stage for personalized medicine treatments.