Since
our founding in 1948, the core support of the MS Society has been
from tens of thousands of dedicated individuals, companies and
foundations in communities across Canada. The Society receives
almost no funding from the government.
The
MS Society of Canada is funding some of the most innovative and
promising research initiatives in the world. Just a few of our
current efforts include:
Repairing
or growing myelin – since the central
problem in MS is the destruction of myelin, a crucial
focus is to find a way to stop the damage and stimulate
myelin regrowth;
Immune
system – the immune system attacks the
body’s myelin so it is vital to understand what
triggers that attack and to find ways to block it;
Genetics -
significant progress is being made in understanding how
genes may contribute to the development of MS. The world’s
largest study of genetic susceptibility is taking place
in Canada;
MRI
studies – since the 1980s, magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) has been used to allow investigators to
see into the living brain and to detect MS lesions. MRI
allows for faster diagnosis of MS and, equally important,
faster evaluation of potentially useful MS therapies.
Canadian scientists are leaders in this field.
