BRAIN RESEARCH
ONTARIO
By David Bogart, director of Research Programs and Industry Relations
BREAKING THE CYCLE THE ONTARIO BRAIN INSTITUTE AND BEST PRACTICES FOR BRAIN RESEARCH
Twenty-five per cent of Canadians will suffer from a brain disorder at some point in their lifetime, and that number continues to grow. In Ontario alone, brain disease costs $39 billion to the economy every year. What can we do to break the cycle? That’s precisely the question worldleading neuroscience researchers asked themselves when they met in 2009 to explore Ontario’s role in the burgeoning field of neurosciences. Recent advances in brain research have brought us to the threshold of developing treatments – and potential cures – for the brain disorders that have plagued humankind for centuries. Given Ontario’s position at the forefront of neuroscience discovery, the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) was established in November 2010 to catalyze translational brain research. The OBI seeks to maximize the impact of neuroscience through supporting translational research, commercialization, and health informatics with the goal of improving the lives of people with neurological disorders and mental illness. “The brain has a fundamental impact on our society,” says Dr. Donald Stuss, president and Scientific director of OBI. “Brain dysfunction of any type has an enormous influence on quality of life and productivity. To start, we’re looking at how we can minimize brain dysfunction
14
Biotechnology Focus / June 2012
and treat brain disease more effectively. Long-term, we want to find ways to maximize brain function and intervene early, so brain disease is prevented altogether.”
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH At the core of OBI’s current research agenda are its Integrated Discovery System (IDS) projects – Ontario-wide initiatives that combine institutions, researchers, clinicians, industry partners and patient advocacy groups to focus on key disorders of the brain. Meetings last year with more than 250 brain researchers in universities and hospitals across Ontario brought seven priority research areas to the forefront: addiction, neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cerebral palsy, depression, epilepsy, neurodegeneration and traumatic brain injury. The OBI has begun supporting the implementation of IDS projects relating to epilepsy, autism/ADHD, and cerebral palsy, and will continue to support the development of the four remaining priority areas.
The Epilepsy Discovery Project is focused on building an understanding of drug-resistant epilepsy. Thirty per cent of those living with epilepsy experience seizures that cannot be controlled by drugs. This project will examine innovative approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of these seizures, including new drug therapies, diet, surgery and deep brain stimulation. The Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders (POND) project is creating the first Canadian clinical trials network for children with neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Intellectual Disability, which affect more than 120,000 children and youth in Ontario. This project will provide a platform for testing promising new interventions, including customized treatment based on an individual’s genetic profile. The Cerebral Palsy Network (CP-NET) is developing better treatments for hemi-
