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Summary: Over the past few decades, research has uncovered considerable benefits associated with physical activity, particularly with improving symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether physical activity after mice are experimentally induced with an MS-like condition would enhance repair processes... Read the full article
Summary: Neuregulin-1, a protein that may be essential for the formation of myelin, is significantly depleted in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions in human brain tissue samples. As many of the current MS therapies work by suppressing the immune response, there is a need to identify effective therapies... Read the full article
Summary: One of the unmet needs is a better understanding of, and treatment options for, progression in MS. While current therapies in MS aim to slow the progression of the disease, there are no treatment options that successfully alter the trajectory of progression. A key to altering progression in... Read the full article
Investigators: Dr. Helen Tremlett , The University of British Columbia Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant , University of California San Francisco Dr. Charles Bernstein , University of Manitoba Dr. Gary Van Domselaar , University of Manitoba Dr. Morag Graham , University of Manitoba Project Summary: Microbial communities... Read the full article
Summary: Early evidence is looking at human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) association with lowering risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether HIV is truly associated with lower risk by its ability to weaken the immune system or through drug therapies for HIV is unknown. The research team will:... Read the full article
Summary: Canada is known to have one of the highest multiple sclerosis (MS) rates in the world and while the risk of developing MS is lower in immigrants, it is still higher than in their native countries. It remains unknown why the Canadian environment may pose higher risk to develop MS. The research... Read the full article
Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Gary Van Domelaar, Dr. Charles Bernstein, Dr. Morag Graham Summary: The gut microbiome is home to trillions of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. The primary focus for researchers when studying the gut microbiome in multiple sclerosis (MS)... Read the full article
Investigators: Dr. Brenda Banwell , Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie , Health Science Centre Winnipeg Dr. Amit Bar-Or , McGill University Dr. Douglas Arnold , McGill University Dr. Ann Yeh , Hospital for Sick Children Project Summary: Most people think of multiple sclerosis (MS)... Read the full article
Summary: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is the most common cause of infectious mononucleosis, an illness highly prevalent among adolescents. Adolescents and young adults with clinically diagnosed infectious mononucleosis have a high risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The factors linking mononucleosis... Read the full article
Summary: In multiple sclerosis (MS), damage to nerve fibers and death of neurons occurs in the brain and spinal cord. The molecules regulating this destruction in MS are unknown. The research team will: Evaluate how two molecules, previously identified to play a role in damage to nerve fibers and death... Read the full article
Summary: VGF is a molecule that is induced during exercise and is shown to increase myelination. VGF also promotes the maturation of myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes. VGF interacts with macrophages/microglia- immune cells that can be both detrimental and beneficial in multiple sclerosis... Read the full article
Summary: Age is a key factor associated with progression from relapsing to progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Destructive oxygen radicals are activated in MS and may play a role in age-dependent injury. How they are activated and cause injury is unknown. The research team will: Examine aging-enhanced... Read the full article
Summary: One type of immune cell, call the B cell, can have either anti- or pro-inflammatory properties. The function of the B cell is also thought to be influenced by microbes in the gut microbiome. B cells function is believed to be compromised in multiple sclerosis (MS) and how the gut microbiome... Read the full article
Summary: Inflammasomes are protein complexes in the immune system that are activated by infection. These complexes are also activated in multiple sclerosis (MS) and promote inflammation and brain injury. The factors regulating inflammasomes in progressive MS are unclear. The research team will: Identify... Read the full article
Summary: B cells have a dual role in multiple sclerosis (MS). A subset of B cells slow the disease course in MS while another subset have detrimental effects on MS. The gut microbiome is the richest source of B cells. The role of a subset of B cells, called plasma cells, found in the gut microbiome... Read the full article
Summary: Poor sleep is a problem for many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is related to fatigue. Whether treatment of sleep disorders can markedly improve fatigue and other symptoms in some MS patients needs to be tested in a study. The research team is: Conducting a randomized, controlled, Read the full article
Summary: Chronic pain, impacting more than 50% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), is associated with inflammation in the brain and spinal cord in MS as well circadian (24-hour) rhythms. Early research has identified a role for circadian rhythms in disease progression in MS, however, whether... Read the full article
Summary: Almost one in five people with multiple sclerosis (MS) use cannabis. People with MS using cannabis to alleviate some of their symptoms have more extensive deficits generally involving information processing speed, working memory and executive function. What is not known in MS is whether the... Read the full article
Summary: Co-existing health conditions that can affect thinking and memory, such as high blood pressure or mood problems, are common in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is unknown whether common co-existing conditions including depression, anxiety, diabetes and high blood pressure increase... Read the full article
Summary: Exercise training has shown to be effective in improving mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) however many studies have not looked at people with substantial walking impairment. Functional electrical stimulation(FES) cycling is one approach where a mild electrical stimulation is... Read the full article
Project Summary: Cognition is considered an “invisible” symptom that can affect up to 70% of people with progressive MS and has been identified as an area of prime concern by people with MS given the harmful effects on employment, relationships and activities of daily living. There is an essential need... Read the full article
Summary: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) causes problems with mobility, balance, and vision and can frequently affect cognition. Specifically, in relation to cognition, MS frequently affects processing speed (PS), or the ability to take in and interpret information quickly and meaningfully, and also affects... Read the full article
Summary: Exercising slows progression, reduces pain and maintains good physical and mental health in multiple sclerosis (MS). Functional electrical stimulation(FES) is one approach where a mild electrical stimulation is applied to the muscle groups to promote movement. While some studies have identified... Read the full article
Summary: Therapy efficacy is evaluated using clinical measures in patients with MS, however these measures change slowly and are difficult to measure objectively, therefore clinical trials examining progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) require a very large number of people and long period of time... Read the full article
Summary: Vaccines work to expand the number of white blood cells to protect against viruses, bacteria or cancer. Vaccines can also potentially be developed to delete white blood cells causing disease like multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether the use of a novel technology, called nanotechnology, can be used... Read the full article
Project Summary: The unique properties of stem cells make them promising candidates for treatments that can slow MS disease activity and repair tissue damage in the central nervous system. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can give rise to specific tissues and have demonstrated... Read the full article
Summary: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to detect white matter (myelin dense regions) lesions – bright areas of damage commonly found in the brains of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). MRI also has the ability to detect subtle changes (or fluctuations) in white matter. How... Read the full article
Summar y: This research aims to understand astrocytes, a type of cell found in the brain named for their star-like appearance and investigates their conribution to MS disease processes and progression. Astrocytes are the most abundant cell types in the central nervous system (CNS) and are known to respond... Read the full article
Summary: The molecule, interleukin (IL)-1ß, has been identified as a key messenger involved in the development and severity of central nervous system autoimmunity. IL-1ß may be acting like a key that opens the door to the central nervous system, allowing entry of aggressive immune cells in to the brain... Read the full article
Summary: Almost 60% of people living with MS are affected by tremor or shakiness. Of those individuals, between 3-15% have moderate to severe disability related to tremor. Tremor can affect quality of life. Drugs are most commonly used in the management of MS tremor, but with limited success and potential... Read the full article
Summary: New research suggests that the brain’s ability to repair and reorganize still exists in people with MS and that aerobic exercise seems to help preserve brain and spinal cord tissue in animal studies of MS. This research aims to understand if intense aerobic exercise combined with large amounts of... Read the full article
Summary: Approximately half of people with MS report impairments in hand function, leading to difficulties performing everyday tasks and activities, such as using eating and buttoning clothing. Avoiding use of the troublesome limb not only leads to a decreased quality of life, but also affects disability... Read the full article
Summary: MS is often characterized by the damage (or lesions) in the brain and spinal cord. One type of MS lesion particularly widespread is called a "sub-pial" cortical lesion. It lies along the surface of the brain. This research team is developing improved methods to detect "sub-pial" lesions using... Read the full article
Summary: This research aims to explore how MS is initiated and hypothesizes that MS starts as a degenerative disorder and then leads to an aggressive autoimmune attack against nerve fibers in the brain resulting in inflammatory ‘plaque’. To test this hypothesis, the group has developed a new animal... Read the full article
Summary: Myelin is a fatty substance that protects nerve cells and acts to enhance their signal transmission. MS results from abnormal activity of the immune system whereby the body’s own immune cells target and damage myelin and myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes located in the central... Read the full article
Summary: This study is examining the molecular and cellular factors that drive multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. Using a novel animal model and human samples, this research aims to understand the effect of both age and microbes in the gut on MS progression. Project Description: The molecular basis... Read the full article
Summary: The goal of the research is to better understand the role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in the development and progression of MS. EBV is a common virus that infects people in childhood or early adulthood and remains quiet (causes a latent EBV infection) in our immune system. Project Description:... Read the full article
Summary: Western diet, obesity and related comordities are risk factors for MS onset and progression. Scientific evidence shows that restricting intake of methionine, an essential amino acid found in high-levels in meat-based diets, is associated with a prolonged lifespan (anti-aging), slower cancer... Read the full article
Summary: People with MS often have co-existing health conditions such as cancer. Cancer is the most common cause of death in people with MS after MS itself. Cancers of the breast, colon and rectum are among the most common cancers that affect Canadians, however we do not know very much about how often... Read the full article
Summary: There is a need to find new and effective drugs that will stop MS disease progression. Recent research has implicated a protein structure called the ‘inflammasome’, a group of proteins that assemble within the brains of MS patients and significantly contributes to both inflammation and cell... Read the full article
Summary: Autoreactive immune cells called T cells play a central role in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and MS-like animal models (EAE mouse model). To perform their role, T cell activity is regulated by dendritic cells (DC). Recently, the team found a novel cell-surface protein of unknown... Read the full article
Summary: MS results from abnormal activity of the immune system whereby the body’s own immune cells target and damage myelin (the outer protective coating of nerve fibers) and myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes located in the central nervous system. Regeneration of oligodendrocytes and subsequent... Read the full article
Project Summary: Few options are available to treat MS symptoms such as leg weakness with spasticity, pain, fatigue, sleep disruption, mood and cognitive impairment, thereby affecting the quality of life of those living with MS. There is a need to better understand and assess the use of cannabis derivatives... Read the full article
Background: A current limitation in multiple sclerosis (MS) care is the ability to accurately predict whether a person’s MS will worsen and when, since the disease trajectory differs for each individual with MS. Being able to better predict a person’s disease trajectory can influence the healthcare... Read the full article
Background: A person’s sex is an important, yet complex factor in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Current evidence indicates that 75% of people in Canada living with MS are women - women are three times more likely to develop MS than men, while men with MS progress more rapidly... Read the full article
Background: Many of the current treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) modulate the immune system and are generally ineffective at treating progressive forms of the disease. Nerve cell degeneration and death in the brain and spinal cord underlie progressive forms of the disease and disability in MS, Read the full article
Background: To develop more effective treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers require a better understanding of the biological processes that lead to susceptibility and progression, as well as animal models that emulate human disease. Unlike relapsing-remitting MS, progressive MS is not... Read the full article
Background: It is estimated that half of all individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience chronic pain. Chronic ‘neuropathic’ pain is particularly distressing, because conventional analgesic therapies are largely ineffective or are associated with dose-limiting side effects. The development of... Read the full article
Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the insulation around the nerve fibres, known as myelin, becomes damaged by the immune system. This damage can result in loss of muscle control and partial paralysis. Oligodendrocytes are a specialized cell type that produce myelin sheaths around... Read the full article
Background: Many of the current disease modifying medications are ineffective at preventing progressive neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). The lack of regenerative therapies highlights the need to develop new treatments that can promote repair of damaged myelin—the protective coating surrounding... Read the full article
Background: Atherosclerosis is condition in which the arteries are narrowed due to a build-up of plaque. The plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, clotting material from the blood and other factors. Atherosclerosis can occur silently without any clinical symptoms, this is called subclinical atherosclerosis... Read the full article
Background: Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease (MOGAD) are inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system that mimic MS and are often highly disabling. These conditions do not respond to most multiple sclerosis (MS)... Read the full article
Background: Recognizing and diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) in children and youth can be challenging. There is a need for better evidence that helps doctors and researchers recognize when MS actually starts, recognizing the earliest warning signs of the disease, in order to provide prompt treatment... Read the full article
Background: Myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve fibres, is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses in the body. In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system attacks myelin, causing inflammation and often damaging the myelin coating. The brain possesses the capacity... Read the full article
Background: With the development of new disease modifying therapies that target immune system cells called ‘B cells,’ it has become increasingly important to better understand the role of B cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). While we understand that B cells are important drivers of MS pathology, its... Read the full article
Background: Minocycline could serve as an early, immediate treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), from first symptom onset to treatment. During this period, people with MS and suspected MS often feel afraid and helpless, as early treatment is recommended. The current treatment gap ranges from weeks... Read the full article
Project Summary: While existing MS therapies effectively target the inflammatory factors related to the disease, there is a need for effective treatments that can reverse the progressive nature of the disease by promoting repair of white matter and reducing disability. Preclinical evidence shows that... Read the full article
Summary: Developing a clinical decision support tool for use by clinicians and people living with MS to make better, more personalized decisions on an individuals’ treatment plan Utilizes artificial intelligence and large-clinical trial datasets, including MRI images and clinical data, from over 10,000... Read the full article
Lead Investigators: Dr. Jennifer Gommerman (University of Toronto) Dr. Alexandre Prat (University of Montreal) Project Description: This project aims to shed light on how most people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) (RRMS) transition to a secondary progressive phase of MS (SPMS) and... Read the full article
Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, can start years before clinical diagnosis and are often preceded by a range of health issues. For example, individuals with Parkinson’s may experience depression and constipation years before the classic symptoms, such as motor deficiencies, Read the full article
Summary: The onset of MS prior to age 18, during pivotal periods of cognitive maturation and development, has a profound impact on the child and their family. A fundamental unmet need is to understand the impact of pediatric-onset MS (POMS) and the recently identified myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein... Read the full article
Summary: There is an unmet need for effective and safe interventions to promote remyelination in MS. Remote ischemic preconditioning (REIP) is a non-pharmacologic intervention that has been shown to be neuroprotective in pre-clinical and clinical studies of central nervous system injury. It consists... Read the full article
Summary: Microglia cells use special energy as part of their metabolism to remove damaged myelin from the brain and allow remyelination to occur. However, during MS, myelin removal by microglia becomes less effective due to the changes in cellular metabolism. This research will closely examine the energy... Read the full article
Summary: Damage to myelin and the underlying nerve fibers (also called axons) may contribute to progression in MS. This research aims to develop a single novel MRI technique that can identify the different types of tissue damage in MS (myelin and axonal damage). This research may help to identify non-invasive... Read the full article
Summary: Myelin loss in the spinal cord disrupts communication between neurons that control movement resulting in walking deficits. Recovery of movement in MS requires regrowth of myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes that remyelinate nerve fibers (axons) in the spinal cord. This research will... Read the full article
Summary: MS relapses are less common during pregnancy, but up to 30% of women have a relapse in the three months after delivery. Since MRI is not routinely performed during pregnancy, measuring the levels of emerging blood biomarkers (neurofilament light chain (or sNfL); glial fibrillary acidic protein... Read the full article
Summary: Impairments in hand function are common for people with MS and the inability to perform basic day-to-day activities can result in loss of independence and decreased quality of life. Many people with MS also report having a more affected or immobilized upper limb and a less symptomatic limb... Read the full article
Summary: Being overweight as an adolescent is associated with an increased risk of MS in females. Previous work from Dr. Shannon Dunn’s research team discovered that obese female mice with MS like disease develop a more severe disease course and exhibit increased levels of pro-inflammatory T cells... Read the full article
Summary: The composition of the gut microbiome, the community of microbes that reside in the gut, can influence immune function and neuroinflammation in brain diseases such as MS. By introducing gut microbiota from specific sub-groups of MS patients in an animal model of secondary progressive MS (SPMS)... Read the full article
Summary: Dr. Moore and team hypothesize that certain components of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) are damaged by inflammation early in MS, therefore allowing toxic substances in the blood to continuously enter the cerebrospinal fluid causing damage to myelin, myelin producing cells (oligodendrocytes), Read the full article
Summary: DICAM is a type of cell adhesion molecule that plays a central role in allowing the entry of pro-inflammatory immune cells into the central nervous system. This research aims to demonstrate that DICAM is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of relapsing and progressive forms of... Read the full article
Summary: People with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) present with characteristic lesions seen in MS, but without having the typical MS symptoms. Since many people with RIS eventually develop MS, RIS can be thought of as a pre-symptomatic MS or a very early stage of MS. As part of this research... Read the full article
Summary: Ependymal cells are important cells that line the fluid-filled spaces in the brain and regulate what flows in and out of the brain tissue. In MS, these cells may not be functioning well or are completely lost. As part of this research, Dr. Stratton and team will investigate how ependymal cells... Read the full article
Summary: This research will develop a cuprizone mouse model that recapitulates many aspects of progressive MS. Dr. Stys and team will apply advanced microscopic analysis, brain MRI and behavioural testing to better understand the tissue-level changes and mechanisms associated with degeneration. Results... Read the full article
Summary: There is a need for targeted therapies that can enhance repair of myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve fibres that can become damaged or lost in people with MS. Dr. Verge and team will use a non-invasive therapy called acute intermittent hypoxia or AIH, where intermittent periods... Read the full article
Summary: Mental illness during the peripartum period (during pregnancy and after delivery) poses serious health risks to parents and their children. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with an increased incidence and prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder; yet little is known... Read the full article
Summary: Recently, there have been major advances in diagnosis and treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody Disease (MOGAD). However, little is known about the prevalence and burden of these diseases in Canada. In January 2021, Dr... Read the full article
Summary: This project aims to uncover novel mediators of ‘compartmentalized inflammation’, a process thought to contribute to disability progression in MS. Dr. Gommerman and team will examine a type of cell called fibroblasts and their interaction with specific immune cells termed Tertiary Lymphoid... Read the full article
