Grant: Training Grant

The use of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA, peptides, proteins, and viruses is rapidly becoming a dominant facet of drug therapy. The development, production, and use of peptides, proteins (including antibodies), small interfering RNAs, and viral-based vectors including RNAi for reducing or increasing the amounts of proteins in the body represents a new wave of pharmaceutical therapy that is applicable to both animal models of disease and human therapeutics. The objective of this strategic training program is to bring together leaders in the fields of biological drug development in the Toronto research core to address a rapidly growing yet unmet need, namely to train young scientists in the design, development, and delivery of biologically-based medicines. The emphasis will be on drug development and therapeutics, not diagnostics or biomarkers. The program will encompass three major therapeutic areas of application: neuroscience/CNS, cancer, and infection and immunity. The researchers (Mentors) in this proposed training program have laboratories based at the University of Toronto, the University Health Network including the Ontario Cancer Institute, MaRS, and the Toronto Western Research Institute. Postdoctoral Fellows and graduate students will receive training in cutting edge techniques and tools such as bioinformatics, the use of RNAi, new methods and formulations for the delivery of nucleic acids and proteins, and the analysis of the metabolism and fate of these macromolecules (pharmacokinetics) in animal models of disease. An attractive aspect of the proposed training program is the partnerships with pharmaceutical companies whereby selected graduate students and PDFs will spend 2 - 6 months working at a pharmaceutical company. We already have agreements to participate from at least 8 pharmaceutical companies in Toronto and elsewhere and more companies are expected to sign on.