History

Our research is focused on the discovery and development of correctors / potentiators that promote trafficking of F508del-CFTR (the most common defect observed in CF) to the plasma membrane and restore its function. This therapy would be expected to radically alter the course of the disease in CF. Restoration of the appropriate level of ion transport early in life would be expected to prevent the development of the observed vicious cycle of altered airway secretions, pulmonary inflammation, bacterial infection, and the development of bronchiectasis and subsequent respiratory failure. This therapy would be expected to significantly decrease respiratory morbidity and improve the quality of life and subsequent life expectancy of CF patients.

Our collaboration agreement grants research rights to the compounds that we jointly developed. They represent an important advance in the development of an effective corrector therapy (compounds that correct the trafficking defect of the most frequent mutation Fdel508-CFTR for Cystic Fibrosis) and potentiators (compounds that activate CFTR).

The Hanrahan and Thomas groups are the founders of the McGill University Cystic Fibrosis Translational Research centre (CFTRc) and Traffick Therapeutics Inc. Their team has considerable research experience in Cystic Fibrosis and are committed to working on the development of a therapy for CF. The CFTRc has benefitted from substantial investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and has sophisticated robotics, automated patch clamp, high throughput resources.