LETAM-HD

The Laboratory for Experimental Therapeutics in Animal Models of Human Disease (LETAM-HD), recently established by Dr. Blair Leavitt at the Centre, is dedicated to high-throughput screening of novel therapeutics in transgenic mice, with the express goal of accelerating the progress of new treatments from the bench to the clinic.

This facility includes a dedicated small rodent surgical suite allowing a variety of surgical procedures including administration of stem cells, compounds or gene therapy vectors directly into the CNS. In addition, the facility also features a dedicated neuropathology unit for high-throughput quantitative analysis of neuro-degeneration in transgenic mouse brains. An established level II biohazard facility is available to perform gene therapy experiments using adenoviral and adeno-associated vectors.

Novel therapeutic approaches that are effective in our HD model will likely have utility in a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders, and in the future we will utilize the same approach to investigate new therapeutics in models of other neurodegenerative disorders, such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Recently, a VisualSonics Vevo770 Ultrasound system with image guided injection capabilities was purchased by Dr. Goldowitz, further expanding the capacity of this facility. This facility’s resources and expertise provide the basis for collaborative projects with scientists worldwide.

For further information on CMMT Core Facilities, please contact:

Michael Hockertz
hockertz@cmmt.ubc.ca
(604) 875-3816