Neurodegeneration
The Brain Research Centre is involved in research relating to the following neurodegenerative disorders:
- Alzheimer’s disease,
- Parkinson’s disease, and
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
What is Alzheimer's disease?
How is the Brain Research Centre a leader in Alzheimer's research?
Would you like to learn more about Alzheimer's disease?
What is Parkinson's disease?
What advances have the Brain Research Centre made in Parkinson's research?
Would you like to learn more about Parkinson's disease?
What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
How is the Brain Research Centre a leader in ALS research?
Would you like to learn more about ALS?
Who researches neurodegenerative diseases?
Would you like to support neurodegenerative disease research?
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease robs people of their past, their present. and their hope for the future. In this disease, specific protein plaques and tangles accumulate inside the brain causing nerve cells and the connections between them to deteriorate and fail, disrupting key brain functions. Every day, more people face the prospect of watching loved ones fade away, unable to remember their life-long achievements or recognize their own spouses and children.
Here in Canada we face a looming epidemic of Alzheimer’s disease. It affects one of every 50 people in industrialized countries and approximately 10% of Canadians over the age of 65. There are currently 280,000 cases in Canada, and this is expected to grow to more than one million in the next 10 years. With Alzheimer’s disease as the cause of two-thirds of all dementia cases, it is one of the most serious threats to the well-being of our seniors, and one of the greatest fears of the aging baby boomer population, now 10 million in Canada alone.
By now, almost every Canadian’s life has been touched by Alzheimer’s disease. We are all too familiar with its devastating impact on people with the disease, their families, and their caregivers. Early diagnosis and treatments for the disease are needed, and research is the way to reach these goals.
How is the Brain Research Centre a leader in Alzheimer’s research?
Twenty-five years ago, scientists knew next to nothing about this debilitating disease. Loss of memory and mental faculties were considered a normal sign of aging. Since then, medical scientists have made tremendous strides in diagnosing Alzheimer’s, and have taken an active interest in investigating its causes in order to develop treatments and perhaps someday find a cure for this disease.
Advances made in the past 10 years are slowly improving the lives of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors can more readily diagnose the disease, allowing for earlier intervention. Some treatments are now available in Canada to ease symptoms and improve quality of life. Public awareness of the disease has greatly increased and there is a greater support network available for people with the disease and for their caregivers. Still, there is no objective diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, diagnosis is a process of elimination that involves several kinds of tests—medical, neuropsychological, and brain scans—that can take days to complete. There is no effective treatment to halt the progress of the disease, and no cure.
However, the Brain Research Centre is home to world leaders in Alzheimer’s research who are dedicated to searching out its root causes in order to alleviate the suffering of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Working with the state-of-the-art imaging technology, these scientists—many of whom have achieved the highest honours of their profession—are finding innovative ways to look inside the living brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Experts are achieving a clearer picture than ever before of how brain cells communicate and what interferes with that communication. As a result, they are producing new knowledge essential to the development of effective treatments. Being able to see the problem is an essential step on the road to finding a solution.
At the Brain Research Centre there are numerous investigators researching Alzheimer’s disease.
- The UBC Hospital Centre for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias unit, led by Dr. Lynn Beattie, has been pivotal in testing new medications and in developing methodology for clinical trials, leading to approval in Canada of two innovative classes of treatment.
- Dr. Weihong Song is making breakthroughs in his investigations of the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s, and the genetic mutations that lead to the development of plaques.
- Working together in neuroscience for half a century, Drs. Edith and Patrick McGeer are considered pioneers in investigating Alzheimer’s disease. They are two of the most highly cited researchers in their field, and were first to uncover the connection between inflammation and brain degeneration. They are now moving toward a clinical trial of a novel anti-inflammatory in Alzheimer’s.
- Dr. Brian MacVicar’s team has discovered a mechanism that regulates brain blood flow, and they are now looking at ways to improve blood flow in the aging brain. This is because as blood flow regulation diminishes with age, it can contribute to the dementia associated with Alzheimer’s.
Along with their distinguished colleagues at the Brain Research Centre, these dedicated and innovative investigators create new knowledge that will translate into improved health and better lives for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.
Would you like to learn more about Alzheimer's disease?
Download a two-page summary to learn more about Alzheimer's disease.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is estimated to affect some 100,000 Canadians at an estimated cost of $2.5-5 billion annually. Although the public face of Parkinson’s disease is a disorder causing tremor, the condition has much more incapacitating effects, such as difficulty initiating and sustaining voluntary movement. Patients may have difficulty writing, arising from a chair or from bed, and walking. Swallowing may be impaired and this may lead to difficulty protecting the airway, as well as pneumonia. Cognitive function may be affected, particularly in older individuals with advanced disease.
While Parkinson’s disease has traditionally been regarded as a disease of the elderly, Michael J. Fox has drawn attention to the fact that up to 10% of affected individuals get symptoms prior to the age of 40. The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown. Indeed, work done by researchers at UBC and elsewhere indicates that Parkinson’s may not be a single condition, but rather, may be a group of conditions with different causes, all of which may result in the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the substantia nigra (black substance) of the brainstem. It is the loss of dopamine in a discrete area of the brain that results in the symptoms of Parkinson’s. In a minority of patients, genetic factors play the predominant role in the development of Parkinson’s; in others, there appear to environmental factors, the majority of which have not yet been identified.
What research advances have the Brain Research Centre made in Parkinson’s disease?
Basic and clinical researchers at the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, working together with colleagues in the UBC-TRIUMF PET program and collaborators at other centres, are pursuing a multidisciplinary approach to the investigation of Parkinson’s disease, all the way from the molecular mechanisms underlying treatment complications, to the genetics of Parkinson’s, and to clinical trials and population studies that seek to determine environmental risk factors. A key methodological backbone for many of the studies is positron emission tomography (PET). This specialized imaging technique allows researchers to visualize and quantify chemical processes in the brain, including the ability to synthesize and store dopamine, the release and breakdown of dopamine, and the receptors for dopamine.
There have been many other advances in Parkinson’s research at the Brain Research Centre. In the last five years, 10 different gene locations for inherited forms of Parkinson’s have been identified, including at least three different mutations. Although such mutations account for only a minority of cases of Parkinson’s, their discovery has led to novel insights into the mechanisms by which nerve cells die. These discoveries are likely to have important implications for other neurodegenerative disorders as well. Researchers at UBC and elsewhere are starting to pinpoint environmental factors that may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s. Novel therapies are being developed and tested. Some of these agents may improve the symptoms or complications of treatment of Parkinson’s; others are being tested for their ability to actually slow down disease progression. In addition, new surgical approaches are available. These are particularly helpful for patients who respond to medication, but for whom the side effects are limiting. There is better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the development of some treatment-related complications. This improved understanding may help lead to more rational approaches to therapy.
Would you like to learn more about Parkinson's disease?
Download a two-page summary to learn more about Parkinson's disease.
What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), although the rarest of the neurodegenerative diseases, is in many ways the most devastating. It is characterized by relentless muscle wasting and weakness involving limb and bulbar musculature. Death prevails usually from respiratory failure, in an average of 3 ½ years following onset of symptoms. There are approximately 5000 cases of ALS in Canada, with the addition of about 500 new cases each year. Onset most commonly occurs between 50 and 65 years of age, but younger onset cases are becoming more frequent. The incidence of ALS, as is the case for other neurodegenerative diseases, is increasing as Canada’s population ages. It is predicted that by the year 2030, one in four families will have a member with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or ALS.
There are different forms of ALS. The most common one is called Sporadic ALS. Less common is Familial ALS, an inherited type that represents approximately 5 – 10 % of ALS cases in Canada. The cause of ALS is still not fully known. While it was once thought that ALS was caused by a single factor, it is now accepted that it is likely to have multiple interacting causes, many not understood, which leads to the destruction of motor neurons. And although it is accepted that genetic factors play a role in ALS, it is not fully understood whether a variety of environmental toxins, so far unidentified, may also play a role. What is understood, though, is that the disease is propagated by a complex self-sustaining, largely genetically-dependent, age-related series of events that include oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, accumulation of intracellular aggregates, disordered immune responsiveness and inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inappropriate apoptosis (programmed cell death).
How is the Brain Research Centre a leader in ALS research?
UBC is a world-wide centre for ALS research, and the collaborative environment of the Brain Research Centre in neuronal cell biology and synaptic function has contributed significantly to our research successes. By taking multiple research approaches in concert with clinical research, we are positioning ourselves for finding treatments for this complex disease and sparing future generations from its devastation.
Drs. Charles Krieger and Neil Cashman are two Centre members who are working towards elucidating the basic mechanisms of ALS and developing treatments for the disease. Dr. Krieger’s research focuses on the potential reconstitution of motor neuron function by bone marrow stem cells in mouse models of the disease, while Dr. Cashman has already developed vaccines and immunotherapies that show much promise in the treatment of ALS.
Supporting this world-class basic research is equally world-class clinical research, which aims to define the ALS syndrome and to develop effective treatments. Dr. Cashman, the director of the ALS Centre at GF Strong Rehabilitation Hospital, leads a strong team of researchers including Drs. Charles Krieger, Hannah Briemberg, Andrew Eisen, and Andrew Travlos in making great strides in understanding the complexities of this debilitating disease in relation to patient care and patient treatments.
Would you like to learn more about ALS?
Download a two-page summary to learn more about ALS.
Who researches neurodegenerative diseases?
Rafeef Abugharbieh, PhD Department of Electical & Computer Engineering
Douglas Allan, PhD Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences
Vanessa Auld, PhD Department of Zoology
Kenneth G. Baimbridge, PhD Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences
B. Lynn Beattie, MD Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine
Gordon Binsted, PhD Department of Human Kinetics, UBC Okanagan
Gary Birch, PhD Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
C. Laird Birmingham, MD Department of Psychiatry
William Campbell, PhD Department of Psychiatry
Mark Carpenter, PhD School of Human Kinetics
Neil Cashman, MD Department of Medicine
Brian R. Christie, MSc, PhD Department of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria
Valter Ciocca, PhD School of Audiology and Speech Sciences
Ann Marie Craig, PhD Department of Psychiatry
Kenneth Curry, PhD Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Shoukat Dedhar, PhD Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Charles Dong, PhD Department of Surgery
Doris J. Doudet, PhD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Marcel Dvorak, MD Department of Orthopedics
Andrew Eisen, MD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Janice Eng, MSc, PhD School of Rehabilitation Sciences
Matthew Farrer, PhD Department of Medical Genetics
Howard Feldman, MD, CM Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Bruce B. Forster, MSc, MD Department of Radiology
Dean Foti, MD, CM Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Liisa Galea, PhD Department of Psychology
Dan Goldowitz, PhD Department of Medical Genetics
Michael D. Gordon, PhD Department of Zoology
Peter Graf, PhD Department of Psychology
Cheryl Gregory-Evans, PhD TD Department of Ophthalmology
Kevin Gregory-Evans, MD, PhD Department of Ophthalmology
Michael Hayden, MB, ChB, PhD Department of Medical Genetics; Director, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics
Farsheed Hedayati Vala, MD Faculty of Medicine
Manraj Heran, MD Department of Radiology
William G. Honer, MD, MSc Department of Psychiatry
Christopher Honey, MD, PhD Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery
Robin Hsiung, MD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Claudia Jacova, PhD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Wilfred A. Jefferies, PhD Michael Smith Laboratories
Judy Illes, PhD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
William Jia, MSc, PhD Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery
David Katz, PhD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Seung Kim, MD, PhD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
Andis Klegaris, PhD Department of Biology, UBCO
Michael Kobor, PhD, Department of Medical Genetics
Charles Krieger, MD, MSc, PhD School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University
Ujendra Kumar, PhD Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Blair Leavitt, MD, CM Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics
Frank Lee, PhD Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Mario Liotti, PhD Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PhD School of Rehabilitation Sciences
Ian Mackenzie, MD Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Brian MacVicar, PhD Department of Psychiatry
Philippe Margaron, PhD Department of Ophthalmology
Joanne A. Matsubara, PhD Department of Ophthalmology
Thibault Mayor, PhD Department of Biochemistry & Moleculary Biology
Martin McKeown, MD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
James McLarnon, MSc, PhD Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Graydon S. Meneilly, MD Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine
Hakima Moukhles, PhD Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences
Timothy H. Murphy, PhD Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Psychiatry
Takako Niikura, PhD Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Robert A. Nugent, MD Department of Radiology
Timothy O'Connor, PhD Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences
John R. O'Kusky, MSc, PhD Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Thomas Oxland, PhD Department of Orthopaedics / Department of Mechanical Engineering
Steven Pelech, PhD Department of Medicine
Jacqueline Quandt, PhD Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Alexander Rauscher, PhD Department of Radiology
Lynn A. Raymond, MSc, PhD, MD Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Psychiatry
Peter B. Reiner, VMD, PhD Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Psychiatry
Gordon Rintoul, PhD Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Jane Roskams, PhD Department of Zoology
Fabio Rossi, PhD Biomedical Research Centre
Tom Ruth, MA, PhD Director, PET Program
Elizabeth M. Simpson, MSc, PhD Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics
Kiran Soma, PhD Department of Psychology
Weihong Song, MD, PhD Department of Psychiatry
Vesna Sossi, PhD TRIUMF/Department of Medicine
Sian Spacey, MD Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
A. Jon Stoessl, MD Department of Medicine
Leigh Anne Swayne, PhD Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria
Wolfram Tetzlaff, MD, PhD Department of Zoology
William Tippett, PhD Department of Psychology, University of Northern British Columbia
Joseph K.C. Tsui, MB BS Department of Medicine
Holly Tuokko, PhD Department of Psychiatry, University of Victoria
Steven R. Vincent, PhD Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Psychiatry
David Vocadlo, PhD Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University
Cheryl Wellington, PhD Department of Pathology
Would you like to support neurodegenerative research?
The Brain Research Centre is committed to advancing our knowledge of the brain and to exploring new discoveries and technologies which have the potential to reduce the suffering and cost associated with disease and injuries of the brain. We invite you to help us deliver on this commitment.
