Molecular
Platform Leadership
Gustavo Turecki, MD, PhD
Jane Foster, PhD
Active Sites
The Molecular Platform operates at the following research sites:
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto, Ontario)
- McGill University (Montreal, Quebec)
- St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (Hamilton, Ontario)
- St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto, Ontario)
- University Health Network (Toronto, Ontario)
Collaborating Research Institutions:
- Imperial College London (London, UK)
Platform Overview
The Molecular Platform investigates biological samples (e.g. blood and urine samples) that are collected through CAN-BIND’s clinical studies. Biological samples allow researchers to explore molecular factors, such as DNA, RNA, or protein levels, and their role in predicting response to depression treatments. These changes could be used to develop simple blood or urine tests to objectively monitor treatment outcomes. The Molecular Platform studies genomics, inflammatory markers, metabolic phenotyping, and targeted genetic analysis associated with depression, antidepressant response and remission.
Resources and Publications
CAN-BIND and H Lundbeck A/S formed an innovative academic-industry partnership based on the shared goals of identifying clinically relevant biomarkers to personalize treatment selection and stratifying patients in clinical trials to improve drug development for depression. Through this partnership, CAN-BIND researchers were able to investigate miRNAs, mRNAs, gene variants, and proteins in peripheral samples from placebo-controlled Lundbeck clinical trials using a comparator drug duloxetine.