Principal Investigator
Professor Brent Richards
McGill University
Co-investigators
Vincent Mooser
Satoshi Yoshiji
Guillaume Butler-Laporte
McGill University
Project of $9.4M over 3 years
- Supported by CQDM through:
Roche, the Jewish General Hospital Foundation and McGill University
Challenge: Diabetes affects up to 10% of the adult population in Quebec, and its prevalence is increasing. Diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure, leading to early mortality. Yet, effective methods for predicting and preventing this complication, known as diabetic kidney disease (DKD), are lacking. Current treatments primarily target diabetes itself, and standard care only partially reduces the risk of DKD. When kidneys fail to function, patients require lifelong dialysis, impacting their quality of life.
Solution: New biomarkers and innovative therapeutics are required to better predict, prevent and treat DKD. Combining genomics and proteomics has been shown to be an efficient method to identify causal targets for therapeutic interventions, disease prediction, and risk stratification. For instance, the research team led by Dr. Brent Richards at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, discovered two new potential biomarkers and a drug target for severe COVID-19 using these approaches. To realize the program for DKD, the team will gather genetic, blood protein, and clinical data from over 9,000 ethnically diverse diabetes patients recruited at the Jewish General Hospital. This comprehensive dataset using epidemiological and genetic techniques will be analyzed to understand how genes and proteins influence the risk and progression of DKD.
Expected Achievements/Impact: A comprehensive and dedicated biobank for diabetes and DKD research will be established, facilitating the identification of potential biomarkers for earlier detection of at-risk patients and unveiling new drug targets for DKD. Ultimately, this biobank aims to include 12,500 participants with diabetes, of whom 3000 will be followed prospectively over 5 years. Additionally, through the involvement of Quebec’s multicultural population, the project aims to enhance care for the entire community while fostering a better understanding of other complications of diabetes. Furthermore, this initiative opens avenues for genetically enriched trials of new therapies for diabetes and its complications. Ultimately, this collaborative research project will cultivate biomedical and clinical expertise in Quebec, with the data poised to benefit academia, pharmaceutical industries, and healthcare sectors both locally and globally.
