PRiME research areas include biologics, omics, molecular chemistry, liquid biopsy, nanomedicine, and biology-on-a chip.
COVID-19 Task Force
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PRiME has launched a COVID-19 Task Force that will bring together its investigators with significant expertise related to the development of advanced diagnostics and new medical countermeasures to combat the SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak. More information about projects underway by PRiME members can be found here and will be continually updated as the effort grows.
Biologics & protein engineering
Biologics, and specifically drugs based on recombinant antibodies, represent the fastest growing class of therapeutics. Toronto possesses world-renowned strength in the discovery of new antibody-based therapeutics and their commercialization. PRiME will capitalize and build on this strength with innovative approaches to biologic discovery and protein engineering.
Nanomedicine and biomaterials
Nanomaterial-based therapeutic agents for gene therapy and targeted drug delivery represent a promising new approach to minimize adverse side effects on patients. By bringing together experts in nanoscience, disease biology and drug delivery, PRiME is realizing new breakthroughs in the treatment and management of cancer and other diseases.
Precision diagnostics
Advances in the discovery and development of new therapeutics must be accompanied by breakthroughs in molecular and cellular analysis that allows patient treatment to tailored to disease subtype and stage. PRiME brings together world-class expertise in analytical technology development.
Targeted small molecules therapeutics
New molecular therapeutics for cancer must be potent, well-tolerated, and effective in increasingly stratified classes of patients. As well, infectious disease is urgently in need of new low-cost therapeutics that can combat disease in the developed and developing world. PRiME fosters collaborations between experts in the discovery of new small molecule therapeutics and those with powerful disease models that can provide important pre-clinical proof-of-concept.
Biology-on-a-chip
The development of powerful microfluidic technologies now allows the modeling of disease biology and the production of ex vivo drug testing systems using microfabricated devices. PRiME bring together experts in microfluidics, mechanical engineering, and materials science to develop new systems for therapeutic testing and development.
High-throughput omics and disease biology
PRiME will bring together expertise in high-throughput genomics and proteomics with disease biology experts to produce impactful science and leads for therapeutic discovery. Exploratory studies performed at U of T probing pathways relevant to cancer, metabolic disease and inflammation have identified many new targets for drug discovery, providing a pipeline of new directions for therapeutic development.