The Canerector Foundation has donated $1.2 million to support research at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a group of rare and often debilitating genetic disorders that affect collagen, as reported in the latest issue of the University of Toronto Magazine.
The donation will expand the scope of Professor Laurent Bozec’s research, which uses atomic force microscopy to explore structural differences in collagen, specifically the high-mobile subtype (HEDS) – the most common form of EDS and the only one without a known genetic marker.
Canerector Foundation President Susan Hawkins said the donation was significant. Her daughter suffered years of pain and misdiagnosis until she learned she had HEDS and received specialized neurosurgery in the United States.
In partnership with the University Health Network’s GoodHope EDS Clinic, Bozec’s five-year research project aims to expand patient recruitment, incorporate animal models, and eventually obtain skin biopsy samples from international sources.
“This gives us hope,” Bozec said. “Understanding the structure of collagen could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of EDS.”
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