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Understanding the effect of cannabis use on cognition (memory, processing speed and executive function) in people affected by MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Summary : Cognitive dysfunction affects 40-80% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), leading to greater difficulty in maintaining work, sustaining relationships, and pursing leisure activities. This study investigates whether withdrawal from cannabis use results in cognitive improvements. Background... Read the full article

MS Society of Canada announces $1 million in support of a collaborative project that promises to unravel the factors involved in disease progression in multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Project Summary: The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada announces $1M for a collaborative team grant led by Dr. Jennifer Gommerman at the University of Toronto to study the molecular factors that govern multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. This project aims to shed light on how most people with relapsing-remitting... Read the full article

Development of an automated system guided by artificial intelligence that may accelerate discovery of drugs to repair damaged nerve cells

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Summary: MS Society funded researcher, Dr. Timothy Kennedy, McGill University, developed an automated self-guided system to better understand specialized cells in the central nervous system , called oligodendrocytes . Oligodendrocytes are critical because they produce a protective layer, myelin , around... Read the full article

A team of world-renowned researchers selected to establish the CANadian PROactive COhort Study for People Living with MS (CanProCo)

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Summary The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, along with partners Brain Canada, are excited to announce that a team of world-renowned researchers in multiple sclerosis (MS) were selected to begin work on the Canadian Prospective Cohort Study to Understand Progression in MS (CanProCo). Biogen is... Read the full article

Future of Multiple Sclerosis: Projections from 2011 to 2031

  • Canadian Study

Background: Canada has the highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide. Since the onset of MS typically happens between the ages of 20 and 40 years, the most productive years of life may be affected with challenges such as unemployment and disability. The MS Society of Canada’s Action on... Read the full article

MS Society-funded researchers explore potential of an antioxidant compound to limit disease progression in mice with MS-like disease

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background: Inflammation and neurodegeneration are two characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS). These responses cause damage to the nerve cells in the brain, preventing the cells from communicating with one another and leading to the varying symptoms seen in individuals with MS. One process that... Read the full article

MS Society funds three new wellness studies that seek to provide more options for accessing physical activity for people living with MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Physical activity is an important priority for people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2015, the MS Society of Canada posted the MS Wellness Survey , an online questionnaire designed to capture the voices of people living with MS about how they view wellness, what they do to achieve optimal wellness, Read the full article

Landmark MS Scientific Research Foundation funded study demonstrates that “rebooting” the immune system stops new disease and leads to recovery in people with aggressive multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Currently, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved for multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to work by blunting the destructive autoimmune response that targets tissues in the central nervous system (CNS). For many individuals living with MS, DMTs offer measurable therapeutic benefits by suppressing... Read the full article

Researchers mine MS Scientific Research Foundation-funded biobank to discover a genetic mutation associated with an aggressive form of primary progressive MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

REVISION: June 3, 2016 Background The precise factors that cause multiple sclerosis continue to puzzle researchers today, although the prevailing view is that a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors interacts to trigger the emergence of the disease. Over the past three decades, Read the full article

MS Society funds two new studies poised to bring laboratory discoveries one step closer to becoming treatments for progressive MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background The need to close the gap between discovery research in the laboratory and clinical trials, in order to accelerate the delivery of safe and effective treatments to people with multiple sclerosis is an urgent priority. In 2014 the MS Society of Canada formed a collaboration with the Centre... Read the full article

MS Society-funded study shows that nicotine reduces the invasion of harmful immune cells into the brain in mice with an MS-like disease

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background A substantial body of evidence suggests that smoking tobacco increases the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) and may even accelerate disease progression. On the other hand, nicotine, the ingredient in tobacco responsible for its addictive properties, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory... Read the full article

MS Society-funded postdoctoral fellow identifies a molecular switch that restrains the development of inflammatory immune cells

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when immune cells target and attack the central nervous system (CNS), causing inflammation and damage to both myelin (the protective covering around nerve fibers) and, eventually, nerve fibers as well. A leading agent in this inflammatory... Read the full article

New collaborative study funded by the MS Scientific Research Foundation will explore how the microbes in the gut influence MS in children and adolescents

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background The lush bacterial ecosystem in our intestines – referred to as the gut microbiome – has co-evolved with humans to give us the means to efficiently break down food and supply us with extracted energy and nutrients. Beyond its role in digestion, the gut microbiome has a profound impact on... Read the full article

MS Scientific Research Foundation funded multi-site study makes breakthrough in identifying type of white blood cell involved in MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Research into understanding and treating multiple sclerosis (MS) has largely been centered on a type of white blood cell known as the T cell or T lymphocyte. T cells are in charge of protecting the body against harmful infections, but in the case of MS T cells have been identified as important... Read the full article

MS Scientific Research Foundation-funded research draws links between exercise and disease severity in children living with MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Approximately 2 - 5 % of all cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) are diagnosed in children and adolescents. Although relatively uncommon, pediatric-onset MS differs from the adult form in that it is more aggressive; children have larger brain lesions and more frequent relapses than adults. It... Read the full article

MS Scientific Research Foundation funded study boosts efforts in pediatric MS research, implications for understanding adult-onset MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Before the launch of the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network in 2004, pediatric multiple sclerosis was under-recognized and poorly understood. The prevalence and impact of MS in children and adolescents was unknown, and how their MS differs from MS in adults was yet to be determined. Read the full article

MS Society-funded research uncovers new mechanism by which front-line MS therapeutic interferon-beta suppresses harmful inflammation

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background T-lymphocytes ( T-cells ) are a class of immune cell that fight infection. They are also one of the primary contributors to the development of MS. During an MS attack, myelin-reactive T-cells invade the  central nervous system (CNS) where they orchestrate and direct an autoimmune response... Read the full article

MS Society-funded fellow demonstrates the ability of the hormone prolactin, when combined with interferon-β, to reduce disease severity in animals with MS-like disease.

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background While we know that women living with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience fewer relapses during mid to late pregnancy or while breastfeeding, we are not sure why this occurs. One possibility lies with the hormone prolactin. Necessary for milk production, prolactin is at its highest levels... Read the full article

MSSRF-funded study demonstrates that proper myelin repair depends on the removal of myelin debris by specialized immune cells

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background The degradation of the  myelin sheath that surrounds nerves in the  central nervous system (CNS), an event referred to as  demyelination , is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis.  Remyelination is the body’s natural mechanism of repairing myelin, although this process is compromised during MS, Read the full article

MS Society-funded fellow publishes study that examines new class of compounds with the potential to protect against nerve damage and halt MS progression

  • Canadian Study

Background One of defining characteristics of multiple sclerosis, particularly in the  progressive phase, is the extensive damage that occurs to axons, or nerve fibres, that are found underneath the  myelin sheath in the  central nervous system . This axonal damage is part of a process called neurodegeneration, Read the full article

MS Society-funded study puts to test a promising new target for MS treatment that has significant potential to stop neurodegeneration and promote recovery

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Standard medications that are available to treat MS work by  influencing the activity of the immune system . The development of these medications is based on the observation that MS is predominantly driven by an autoimmune response, in which the body’s natural defenses start to attack healthy... Read the full article

MS Scientific Research Foundation-supported study highlights puberty as a significant factor in development of multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Mounting evidence suggests that a number of biological, genetic, and environmental factors contribute to one’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). One of the more widely accepted factors is sex; females are reported to be three times more likely to develop MS than males, and this... Read the full article

MS Scientific Research Foundation-funded trial poised to explore promising new mesenchymal stem cell therapy in people with MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have recently garnered the attention of multiple sclerosis (MS) researchers for their remarkable ability to reduce harmful inflammation and promote healing of injured tissue. However, it is not currently known whether MSC can benefit people affected by MS, an... Read the full article

A comprehensive, nationwide MS Society-supported study provides clues about factors that contribute to living a long and healthy life with MS

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background: People with MS are living longer than in the past, likely attributable to a higher life expectancy in general and increasingly effective treatments for MS. Strategies for reducing disability and improving quality of life in later years have thus become of great interest, underlying the need... Read the full article

MS Society funded study assesses diagnostic criteria for CCSVI

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background: In June 2010, the National MS Society (USA) and the MS Society of Canada committed over $2.4 million to support seven new research projects that would gain further insight into the relationship between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and MS. One of these studies was led... Read the full article

Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation funded study advances understanding of risky but effective stem cell treatment

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Background – Stem cell therapies in MS Stem cells are unique cells in the body which possess the capability to ‘self-renew’, or replicate themselves, as well as develop into specialized cells which perform specific functions. These characteristics have identified stem cells as a potential treatment... Read the full article

Researchers reveal a dual-protective role of the Hedgehog pathway

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Summary A research team from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) provide further understanding of the method by which the blood brain barrier (BBB) works to avert attacks of the immune system on the brain. These findings which have been published in the prestigious journal Science... Read the full article

Neuroinflammation and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress are Co-regulated by Crocin to Prevent Demyelination and Neurodegeneration

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Summary Researchers from the University of Alberta have found that crocin, an active ingredient in the spice saffron, has a neuroprotective effect and may offer a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis. [André M. Deslauriers, Amir Afkhami-Goli, Amber M. Paul, Rakesh K. Bhat, Shaona Acharjee, Kristofor... Read the full article

Research Team Discovers New Type of Spinal Cord Stem Cell

  • Canadian Study

Summary A research team led by a University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health scientist has discovered a type of spinal cord cell that could function as a stem cell, with the ability to regenerate portions of the central nervous system in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis... Read the full article

Impaired neurosteroid synthesis in multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Summary Researchers at the University of Alberta discovered that the genes responsible for producing neurosteroids, which allow brain cells to communicate and enable cell repair and re-growth, are suppressed in people with MS. Increasing the level of these neurosteroids in the central nervous system... Read the full article

Government of Canada Funds National Neurological Study

  • Canadian Study

Summary The Government of Canada announced investment of almost $6 million to support 10 studies on neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and neuromuscular conditions. The funding is part of the $15 million National Population Health... Read the full article

The psychosocial and cognitive impact of longstanding benign MS

  • Canadian Study

Summary UBC researchers and UBC MS clinic neurologists compared outcomes in people with benign MS (EDSS 3.0) and found that depression and mental health quality of life differed little between the two groups. However, people with longstanding 'benign' MS (EDSS ≤3 for 25+ years) had less fatigue, better... Read the full article

Pregnancy outcomes in women with multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study

Summary UBC researchers, Dr. Helen Tremlett and Mia van der Kop reported findings from a retrospective cohort study she conducted using data from the British Columbia MS Clinics’ database and the British Columbia Perinatal Database Registry to determine if there was a difference in pregnancy related... Read the full article

MS Society partners in CCSVI clinical trial

  • Canadian Study

September 28, 2012 – Halifax – The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada welcomes the federal government’s announcement that the Phase I/II clinical trial for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) has received the necessary medical and ethical approvals required to proceed. The national... Read the full article

The natural history of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study

Summary A study of over 5,000 people with MS , researchers pinpointed motor symptoms at onset (such as muscle stiffness known as spasticity) and male gender as factors associated with a faster progression from relapsing-remitting MS to secondary-progressive Researchers were funded by the National MS... Read the full article

MS Society of Canada commits $1 million for CCSVI clinical trial

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Toronto, Ontario - September 16, 2010 – The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada board of directors unanimously approved a motion to reserve $1 million for a chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and MS pan-Canadian therapeutic clinical trial. The funding will be set aside so that an immediate... Read the full article

Emerging effects of comorbidities on multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study

Summary Although the interaction between comorbidities and chronic diseases is strong, the effect of comorbidities receives little attention in many chronic diseases. In multiple sclerosis (MS), an increasing amount of evidence suggests that physical and mental comorbidities, and adverse health factors... Read the full article

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Sclerosis: Collaboration of the CIBMTR and EBMT to Facilitate International Clinical Studies

  • Canadian Study

Summary Clinical investigation of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) has been ongoing for over a decade. While several phase II studies have been finalized or are in progress, no definitive prospective randomized studies comparing HSCT versus... Read the full article

Emerging Therapies in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

  • Canadian Study

James J. Marriott* and Paul W. Q'Connor Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials, 2010, 5, 179-188. Details Disease modifying therapy (DMT) first became available for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) fifteen years ago with the development of the moderately effective injectable agents interferon... Read the full article

The natural history of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study

Summary The onset of secondary progression is a pivotal event in the course of relapsing-remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) experience continuous worsening of symptoms independent of the occurrence of relapses. Possible risk factors associated with... Read the full article

New perspectives in the natural history of multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study

Summary In this review, researchers from the University of British Columbia highlight recent advances in MS natural history over the last 5 years, with a focus on long-term population-based cohorts and factors associated with disease progression. Tremlett H, Zhao Y, Rieckmann P, Hutchinson M. Neurology. Read the full article

Increasing use of disease modifying drugs for MS in Canada

  • Canadian Study

Summary University of Toronto investigators report on the utilization of disease modifying drugs in Canada. Rotstein DL, Mamdani M, O'Connor PW. Can J Neurol Sci. 2010 May;37(3):383-8. Details The course of multiple sclerosis may be slowed by use of the disease modifying drugs (DMDs): subcutaneous or... Read the full article

Acne medication may delay progress of multiple sclerosis

  • Canadian Study
  • MS Society Funded

Canadian researchers investigate common medication as alternative MS treatment Calgary, October 25, 2007 – A common acne medication that has been available for over 30 years has the potential to delay the progress of multiple sclerosis and if proven effective, will offer an inexpensive option for the... Read the full article

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