Dr. Anthony Phillips
Project Title: d-Govadine: A promising treatment for targeting cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease
Grant Name: 2024 CLEAR Operating Grant
Grant Duration: 2024-2025 (two years)
Research Lay Summary:
In this research, we aim to study a novel lead drug candidate d-Govadine (d-GOV) created at The University of British Columbia. In initial foundational studies, d-Govadine has shown the clinically important capacity to boost the brain chemical dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, responsible for cognitive functions and abilities.
Recent dementia studies have illustrated that problems with dopamine in the brain might be a causation of faster-progressing Alzheimer’s disease, as individuals diagnosed have shown lower levels of dopamine compared to those without memory loss.
To move d-GOV closer to becoming an Investigational New Drug (IND) approved treatment for Alzheimer’s, this study aims to:
- Identify how exactly d-GOV interacts with specific receptors in the brain.
- Confirm its effectiveness in improving memory in a model of AD.
- Confirm how the medication is processed in the body to then decipher the best way to deliver the treatment over time.
Therefore, the overall objective of this project is to gain Health Canada/ FDA approval for subsequent tests of d-GOV in clinical studies with patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, to prove efficacy in improving cognitive functioning.