January 2024

Happy New Year! It is with great enthusiasm that CAMH continues working towards transforming mental health for all in 2024. In this month's brainbuzz™,  we share research on a potential new drug treatment for multiple sclerosis, CAMH's rankings amongst the country's top 40 research hospitals, and news of CAMH joining the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute alliance. Questions and feedback are welcome at any time — feel free to get in touch.

Aristotle Voineskos
VP Research, CAMH
 

CAMH develops potential
new drug treatment for multiple sclerosis

A small molecule drug that aids in the neuroprotection of cells found to be effective in treating nerve damage and symptoms in models of MS

CAMH-led pre-clinical studies using a small molecule drug have shown promise as a potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The results have been published today in the journal Science Advances.

Expanding on Dr. Fang Liu’s earlier work that identified a novel drug target for the treatment of MS, she and her team have now created a small molecule compound that is effective in two different animal models of MS. This represents a key advancement that brings this MS research closer to the clinic to impact patient care. 

MS is a progressive neurological disease that currently has no cure.  It is associated with a wide-range of debilitating symptoms, including problems with coordination, cognition, muscle weakness and depression.  For unknown reasons, it is more common in northern latitudes and more than twice as common in women. 

It is known that MS damages myelin, a protective sheath that forms around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. As the myelin damage is triggered by inflammation in the immune system, up until now all current drug treatments for MS target the immune system.

In this study, CAMH Senior Scientist Dr. Fang Liu and her team treated MS in a completely different way—targeting the glutamate system. Study results showed that the newly synthesized lead compound not only reduced MS-like symptoms, it also may repair the damaged myelin in two different pre-clinical models of MS.

“Our compound had a stunning effect on rescuing myelin and motor function in the lab models, and I hope these effects will translate to the clinic to add to current treatments and bring new hope to patients with MS,” said Dr. Liu. “As with cancer chemotherapy drug cocktails, simultaneous targeting of the MS disease pathway at multiple points can have synergistic effects and result in better outcomes.”

Dr. Iain Greig, Reader in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen, is working alongside his team to turn the molecules identified by Dr. Liu into advanced “drug-like” molecules suitable for continued development towards clinical use in patients. He added: “In all my years as a medicinal chemist, I have never seen a more promising starting point for a drug development project.  It has been a huge pleasure to be involved in this program and I am looking forward to continuing to drive it towards to the clinic.”

Much of the funding for this novel treatment for MS, which Dr. Fang and her team have been investigating for over a decade, has come from the MS Canada and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society USA’s Fast Forward commercial research program.

“We are pleased to have helped enable the early development of a novel neuroprotective strategy for MS, and look forward to seeing it progress through the critical next stages needed to determine its potential benefits for people living with MS,” said Walt Kostich, PhD, head of the National MS Society (USA)’s Fast Forward commercial research program. 

Dr. Liu believes that the evidence of efficacy and tolerability generated in this study for the small molecule drug makes it a good candidate to be developed for human trials. The next steps in drug development will involve some further pre-clinical research, including investigating safety and stability of the compound. CAMH and the University of Aberdeen have already filed patent applications to protect this research and are actively seeking industry partners to further advance this work towards clinical trials over the next few years.
 

CAMH Tops list of Mental Health
Research Hospital Rankings

During the 2021-22 fiscal year, CAMH reached $86.6 million in research spending, a new record high and an 8.7 per cent increase over the prior year

In December 2023, Research Infosource released its 2023 rankings (based on the 2021-22 fiscal year) for Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals.

CAMH has once again topped the list as the country’s leading mental health research hospital. During the 2021-22 fiscal year, CAMH reached $86.6 million in research spending, a new record high and an 8.7 per cent increase over the prior year, reflecting the continued importance of mental health and addictions research to CAMH’s overall mandate. Looking forward, CAMH anticipates additional growth and productivity, with its research-related spending for 2022-23 reaching $100 million.

In the 2023 rankings, CAMH maintained its position within its sub-category of medium-sized hospitals at 3rd overall in ‘researcher intensity,’ the amount of research spending per researcher. CAMH also maintained its 2nd place position for ‘hospital intensity,’ which analyzes research spending as a percentage of total hospital spending.

"Research is a core part of our mandate at CAMH to move forward our understanding of the causes of mental illness and addictions and to improve care for patients now and in the future. This is a very exciting time for research at CAMH. We look forward in 2024 to the groundbreaking for the new Research & Discovery Centre. This transformative space will unite our research programs under one roof while potentially increasing the number of research scientists, staff, students and trainees by more than 40 percent."
~Dr. Aristotle Voineskos, Vice President of Research

Overall, CAMH came in 15th among the country’s top 40 leading research hospitals, funding a variety of research mainly through four major cohort studies currently underway. Some of the areas focused within CAMH research include cannabis, alcohol, psychedelics, treatment-resistant depression, COVID-19's impact on the brain and nervous system, dementia, posttraumatic stress disorder, postpartum depression, schizophrenia and psychosis.

Some of 2023’s stand-out research stories include:

• A study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry identified elevated levels of inflammation in the brain of patients who reported persistent symptoms of long COVID.
• The Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation (CAPE) Project released its latest report evaluating alcohol control policies nationwide and in all 13 provinces and territories, revealing a failing grade of 40 per cent for Ontario.
• A research study entitled Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Canadians of South Asian Origins provided recommendations and resources to implement culturally adapted mental health treatment for South Asian people.
• A CAMH-led study of national suicide rates in 33 countries in the Americas was the first to examine key contextual factors associated with higher rates of suicide.
• CAMH-led pre-clinical studies using a small molecule drug have shown promise as a potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS).

Check out the complete list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals in 2023.
 

Open Science momentum grows stronger in Canada with a new commitment by its largest mental health teaching hospital

CAMH joins the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute alliance in a partnership to open research practices.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital in the country is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI) at McGill University’s The Neuro, joining a growing alliance Canadian institutions changing research practices in neuroscience. This important endeavour is supported by a $1M commitment from the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute and an equivalent commitment by CAMH.

As part of its commitment to Open Science, CAMH is formally adopting a set of Open Science Principles to foster collaboration and the sharing of mental health research findings with scientists in Canada and around the world. By implementing Open Science practices, CAMH aims to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment for mental illnesses and addictions such as depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer ’s disease. 

“We are in an incredibly exciting time in mental health research, where knowledge about the brain, and our understanding of causes of and treatments for mental illness continue growing exponentially,” says CAMH VP of Research Dr. Aristotle Voineskos. “Our partnership with TOSI and its partners all across the country will help researchers at CAMH and beyond make advances in science and technology to positively impact the lives of people today and in the future.”

CAMH is already undertaking a range of unique large-scale cohort studies to better understand and ultimately predict patient health trajectories. Data from thousands of research participants will be securely stored in the BrainHealth Databank in a way that protects patient privacy while making the data available for scientists elsewhere in Canada and around the world to pursue new discoveries and innovations in mental health diagnosis and treatment. The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics is further developing tools and resources integrating Open Science principles, leveraging big data and AI to glean new patterns and insights to improve care.

“The BrainHealth Databank is on its way to becoming the single largest digital repository of mental health data in Canada. CAMH is proud to make these data widely available to researchers to drive more innovation and discovery, and benefit patients.” says David Rotenberg, CAMH Director of Data Strategy & Business Intelligence and Operations Director of the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics.

Inspired by The Neuro’s commitment towards Open Science in 2016, CAMH now joins the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The Douglas Research Center and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health in this nation-wide alliance. 

“A shift to Open Science is a culture change happening incrementally, but can be accelerated when thought leaders and pioneers in their field embrace it. Having a major institution such as CAMH join us sets a strong example, and will no doubt contribute to the snowball effect we have started to witness,” says Dr. Guy Rouleau, Director of The Neuro and co-founder of the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute. 

These partnerships all flow from TOSI’s mission to encourage the adoption of Open Science across Canada, by providing both guidance and funding to support interested organizations.

“I am very pleased to see fellow colleagues all around the country raising the Canadian flag for more transparent and collaborative access to research” says Larry Tanenbaum, co-founder of the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute. “This was my dream when I co-founded TOSI at The Neuro in 2016. Seeing this crystallizing now is a wonderful milestone.”

About the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI)
The Tanenbaum Open Science Institute was established in 2016 at The Neuro through a $20-million donation by the Larry & Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation with a goal of leading the development of Open Science within The Neuro and encouraging other Canadian neuroscience research institutes to commit to Open Science. 
 

Buzz-worthy News

• Congratulations to three CAMH scientists that have just been appointed as Order of Canada Members: Dr. Bruce Pollock, Dr. Anne Bassett and Dr. Arun Ravindran! The Order of Canada is presented by the Governor General of Canada to individuals who make extraordinary contributions to Canada.
  Dr. Pollock has been appointed for leading contributions to geriatric psychopharmacology as a researcher, builder and educator;
  Dr. Bassett has been appointed for her remarkable career in schizophrenia and genetics, including her work studying the first genetic subtype of schizophrenia; and
  Dr. Ravindran has been appointed for his contributions to mental health research and clinical care in the areas of mood disorders.
  https://twitter.com/GGCanada/status/1740357925229752339
• SAVE THE DATE! We have much to discover in the world of women’s mental health. Mark your calendars on April 17-18, 2024, for the first-ever womenmind™ Conference exploring breakthrough science and unite in advocacy to advance this field of research. More info to come!
  https://twitter.com/CAMHnews/status/1731718113974980779