Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC partnered)

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in Canada. Nearly 80,000 Canadians were estimated to be affected with AMD and as our population ages this number is expected to grow at a rate of 10,000 per year. A common eye condition among people age 50 and older, AMD leads to the destruction of the macular, the part of the eye, which is made up of millions of light-sensing cells that provide sharp, detailed central vision needed for seeing objects clearly. AMD occurs in two forms "dry" and "wet". In the former, the light-sensitive cells in the macular break down, gradually blurring central vision in the eye. Dry AMD progresses to wet AMD, which features abnormal blood vessel growth causing swelling and damage to the macular, resulting in central vision loss. Presently, few treatments exist to slow the progression of wet AMD and no therapy is available to treat dry AMD. The proposed project brings together experts in pharmacology, pharmacy and chemistry to tackle AMD. Our team has identified a scavenger receptor called CD36 as a target for AMD therapy and has synthesized molecules which modulate this receptor. These molecules have demonstrated efficacy in cell based and animal models of AMD. The proposed research will further develop the molecules to understand the importance of the CD36 receptor in the various stages of AMD towards the development of drug candidates for treating both the dry and wet forms of AMD. In addition to exploring a novel intervention for treating the unmet medical need of AMD, our team collectively provides a unique environment for training high quality personnel in the various activities of the drug discovery process from lead molecule to preclinical evaluations of best candidates in animal models. Graduates from this multidisciplinary program are well prepared to find employment and address modern challenges in academic and industrial sectors.