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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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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
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
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: 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
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
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: 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: 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
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: 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: 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
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
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
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: 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
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
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: 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: 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
