Brain Sciences
Breaking new ground in the treatment of brain disorders
Whether we are treating a teen with bipolar disorder, a woman with a brain tumour or a middle-aged man with Alzheimer’s, patients and their families count on Sunnybrook when it matters most. Brain illnesses are one of the leading causes of death and disability in Canada. The Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre at Sunnybrook is finding new ways to solve these complex medical conditions.
We were the first in the world to open up the blood-brain barrier without surgery, to deliver chemotherapy directly into the tumour of a brain cancer patient, and then to test the technology on patients with Alzheimer’s. This barrier protects the brain from toxins but also stops helpful drugs from reaching damaged areas of the brain. This remarkable achievement ushers in an era in which therapies can be delivered painlessly to the brain to treat conditions previously considered untreatable. Now we are exploring how to benefit patients with other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease.
We need your help to advance research and develop new treatments for brain disorders. Donate now.


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