"This is a fantastic opportunity for us to take a new approach in treating MS," says Dr. Samuel Weiss, the lead scientist from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, a partnership of the University of Calgary and the Calgary Health Region. "We will be combining repair therapies, pioneered by the three centres, in ways that have never been tested before in the course of MS research."

In earlier work, researchers used stem cells to generate myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. Myelin is the vital protective covering of the brain and spinal cord that is damaged during MS attacks, resulting in a wide array of symptoms including vision problems, tingling, lack of coordination and sometimes, paralysis.

They also pioneered new ways of using magnetic resonance imaging to measure, non-invasively, the production of new myelin and the rate of functional recovery from MS. The ability to generate myelin and measure its impact is key to reducing MS disability.

With the new funding, scientists will investigate whether adult human stem cells can be stimulated to create myelin. In essence, they will determine if there is an "on" switch that can kick-start the remyelination process for people who have MS.

"The study looks to using an individual's own stem cells to repair the damage caused by MS," explains Dr. Jack Antel, lead researcher from the Montreal Neurological Institute.

"In the future, we hope to turn this data into human clinical trials to determine whether people who have MS will actually experience a decrease in disability," adds Dr. Moses Rodriguez, lead researcher from the Mayo Clinic. "This would be an extraordinary step in the fight against this disease."

Also involved in the study are Dr. Jeffrey Dunn and Dr. Wee Yong from the University of Calgary, Dr. Douglas Arnold from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Dr. Arthur Warrington from the Mayo Clinic.

"The work taking place at these three institutions is state of the art and provides real hope to people living with MS today," concludes Alexander R. Aird, chair of the MS Scientific Research Foundation and former chair of the MS Society of Canada.

Funding for this unique study and many other MS research projects is made possible through MS Society of Canada fund raising activities like the just-concluded MS Carnation Campaign, the upcoming RONA MS Bike Tours, and the ongoing Super Cities WALKs for MS and MS Read-A-Thon. The MS Society is a leader in providing funding for innovative research and vital services for people with MS and their families. The MS Scientific Research Foundation receives almost all of its funding from the MS Society of Canada.

About multiple sclerosis, the MS Society of Canada and MS Scientific Research Foundation

MS is an unpredictable and often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. MS can occur at any age. It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, when people are finishing school, building careers and establishing families. It has been diagnosed in children as young as three. With an estimated 50,000 people living with the disease and three more diagnosed each day, Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world.

The MS Society of Canada and the MS Scientific Research Foundation are the largest funders of MS research in Canada. The MS Society raises funds to support research and services almost entirely through individual and corporate donations and fund raising events across the country.

May is MS Awareness Month. In May, MS Society chapters and volunteers in communities across the country will be raising awareness about the disease and raising funds for ongoing research and services.

The MS Scientific Research Foundation was established in 1973. It supports large cooperative multi-disciplinary research projects that are beyond the scope of the MS Society's regular granting program.

For further information:
Cindy DesGrosseilliers,
Manager, Communications,
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada,
Cindy.DesGrosseilliers@mssociety.ca,
Phone: (416) 922-6065 ext 3015