Government
Relations and Social Action 
Information Brief on endMS Research and Training Network
What the MS Society recommends:
That the Government of Ontario financially support the endMS Research
and Training Network, which will keep Ontario and Canada’s MS research
talent pool healthy and speed the discovery of new treatments and, ultimately,
a cure.
Basic
facts:
-
The MS Society of Canada has created a new program
that will accelerate the pace of MS research and establish
Canada as the premier destination in the world to pursue
a career in MS research.
-
The MS research talent pool in Canada
is shrinking. A new investment is needed to encourage junior
clinicians and scientists
to choose MS research as their career path and to attract
them to Ontario and Canada.
-
New research talent is needed
to build on critical research being funded today so new
treatments and eventually a cure
can be found.
-
Canada is a world leader in MS research.
Ontario clinicians/scientists are ranked among the best
in the world. Some of the incredible
advances made in recent years have been made at the
University of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children and
the University
of Ottawa.
-
There is a strong record of MS research discoveries
going very quickly from science to therapy.
- Over the years,
the MS Society of Canada has raised $117 million for
MS research. Many people diagnosed with
MS today avoid debilitating symptoms for some time
thanks to the investment
made in MS research during the past 30 years.
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Impact of MS:
-
Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the
world and that number is growing.
-
The estimated annual total
cost of MS to Canada’s economy
is $1 billion, more than all infectious diseases combined.
-
During
their lifetime, each Ontarian with MS will need $1.6 million
in care and support to deal with their illness.
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Expected Outcomes
-
Investing in MS research and a stable research strategy
means in the future Ontarians with MS can work longer, be more
independent,
be more involved in their local communities and make lasting
contributions to society for a longer period of time.
-
Eventually,
investment in research will result in a cure for MS and relieve
the burden on Ontario’s health care
system.
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Ontario MS Research Projects 2008
In 2007, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada funded a research
program totalling $10.7 million. The research program supports
only the very best research projects and research scholarships
to attract young scientists to the MS field. To be funded, research
projects and scholarships must meet two critical principles.
The first principle is scientific excellence; second, and equally
important, they must be of direct relevance to MS. Both principles
must be met before they are recommended for funding. Below are
Ontario research projects being carried out in 2008 and beyond.
Dr. Brenda Banwell
Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
$4.3 million over five years
This groundbreaking study is following children who have a first
attack suggestive of MS to attempt to isolate the factors that
precede the development of the disease. The study will also probe
why some children go on to develop MS, while others never progress
to having the disease. It should advance knowledge of the cause
or causes of MS.
Dr. Brenda Banwell and Dr. Christine Till
Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
$234,000 over two years
Cognitive problems are a critical outcome for a substantial number
of children with MS. Why some children may have cognitive dysfunction
is not well understood, and identification of children at highest
risk is crucial for the prompt initiation of rehabilitation and
appropriate school placement. This study, using state-of-the-art
MRI scanning of a large group of children with MS, will provide
unprecedented information for health care professionals and parents.
Dr. Joan Boggs
Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
$223,265 over two years
Myelin is the substance that protects the central nervous system
and which is targeted and damaged by MS attacks. How to stimulate
cells to repair damaged myelin is a central theme of much MS
research. This study focuses on the signalling that takes place
among the different layers of the myelin sheath with the goal
of stimulating myelin repair.
Dr. Lillian DeBruin
Wilfred Laurier University
$122,040 over two years
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by the destruction of the
myelin covering of the brain and spinal cord. Within myelin,
unique regions such as lipid rafts are involved to ensure proper
development and maintenance. The study is testing the hypothesis
that lipid rafts undergo a change during demyelination, and thus
their function is disrupted. This work should provide new strategies
for the development of ways to treat MS.
Dr. Anthony Feinstein
University of Toronto
$59,220 over one year
Depression contributes significantly to the disability associated
with MS. This study is using various kinds of brain scanning
to determine if there is a difference in the brains of people
with MS who have more symptoms of depression compared to people
with MS who do not experience depression. Understanding the causes
of depression will enable health care professionals to provide
better care.
Dr. Mark Freedman and Dr. Harold Atkins
Ottawa Hospital
$2.4 million over five years
MS is believed to be a disease in which the immune system attacks
parts of the nervous system resulting in permanent damage. Using
the same techniques developed to treat some kinds of leukemia,
the researchers have treated 15 people with rapidly developing
MS with high doses of chemotherapy and antibodies to eradicate
the malfunctioning immune system and then transplanted back their
own stem cells. As yet, none of those treated have experienced
further MS relapses.
Dr. Jennifer Gommerman
University of Toronto
$362,950 over three years
This study is focusing on lymphocytes that in the case of MS
may no longer function normally and instead, after interacting
with other cells, increase inflammation which damages the myelin
in the central nervous system. In particular, Dr. Gommerman is
looking to find ways to inhibit the activity of the lymphocytes
and ultimately, to slow or stop MS attacks.
Dr. Rashmi Kothary
Ottawa Health Research Institute
$304,320 over three years
Damage to the protective myelin covering of the nerves in the
brain and spinal cord is one of the primary characteristics of
MS. Drawing on previous work which showed the importance of a
substance called beta-1 integrin in the maturation of myelin-making
cells, Dr. Kothary is now manipulating integrin in various ways
with the goal of reducing myelin destruction and promoting regrowth.
Dr. Mario Moscarello and Dr. Fabrizio Mastronardi
Hospital for Sick Children
$200,000 over two years
In previous work, the researchers have shown that enhanced formation
of a substance called citrulline contributes to the destabilization
of the protective myelin covering in people with MS. This increase
does not appear to occur in people with other neurological diseases.
The current study is examining whether vitamin B12 could prevent
myelin destabilization.
Dr. Charles Tator
Toronto Western Hospital
$188,500 over two years
One promising approach to the treatment of MS is the transplantation
of myelin-producing cells to stimulate myelin regrowth and to
protect nerve cells. Using models for MS, neural stem progenitor
cells will be transplanted with the aim of stimulating functional
recovery in two different MS models. Knowledge gained in this
study of enhancing repair and remyelination will increase the
possibility of an effective repair therapy for MS
Dr. Lisa Walker
Carleton University
$68,290 over two years
At times, people with MS mention they think more slowly or experience
difficulty in processing information because of the disease.
Preliminary results with a series of newly developed computerized
tests suggest these tests offer considerable promise in detecting
the presence of slowed information processing. The study will
examine whether these new tests provide a better assessment of
cognitive deficits than traditional neuropsychological tests.
A second goal is to assess the ability of the tests to track
the progressive effects of MS over a three-year period.
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