Research We Fund

Comorbidity, cognition and multiple sclerosis (C-COMS)

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

Role and therapeutic potential of Neuregulin-1 as a modulator of neuroinflammation and remyelination in multiple sclerosis

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

Peripartum Mental Illness in Parents with Multiple Sclerosis: Incidence and Prevalence

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

Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Multiple Sclerosis

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

Role and Therapeutic Potential of Neuregulin-1 in Multiple Sclerosis

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

Progressive degeneration from onset in pediatric multiple sclerosis: Evaluation of clinical and health-related quality of life, early loss of brain integrity and accelerated immunological senescence

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

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT): a potential cell based treatment for inflammatory forms of multiple sclerosis

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

Cancer in Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis and Outcomes

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

From bugs to brains: the gut microbiome in paediatric multiple sclerosis

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