Canada’s Leadership in Multiple Sclerosis Research
Canada is a recognized global leader in multiple sclerosis research because of a dynamic and interactive group of outstanding established researchers. Ensuring that more trainees and researchers make MS their lifelong cause is integral to continued progress and discovery in the field of MS.
The end MS campaign will raise $60 million over five years to recruit, train, support, and retain the next generation of MS researchers in Canada. The goal of this effort is to accelerate discovery in the field of MS to end MS in the shortest possible timeframe. The flagship initiative of this investment is the $20 million endMS Research and Training Network.
Complementing the investment to create the Network, the MS Society of Canada will allocate a minimum of $40 million over five years to finance specific MS research projects conducted by members of the Network on exciting and important topics such as:
- Understanding and preventing autoimmunity attacks on the central nervous system;
- Studying how to stimulate myelin re-growth and repair (myelin is the protective insulation surrounding nerve fibres in the central nervous system);
- Determining if transplanting bone marrow stem cells in people with MS can stop the disease;
- Understanding the role of genetic susceptibility and environment;
- Understanding the development of MS in children; and
- Conducting clinical and population health research to help people manage MS today.
Each of these areas of investigation has the potential to achieve dramatic breakthroughs that will lead to the end of MS.