Photo of Dr. Michael Levin (MD) and Dr. Sarah Donkers (PhD), two researchers in the College of Medicine.
From left: Dr. Michael Levin (MD) and Dr. Sarah Donkers (PhD).

Driving MS Research Forward in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and MS Canada’s $599,000 Investment.

By Sarah Kasleder, SHRF

Partnering with MS Canada is important as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent health condition in Saskatchewan, where approximately 3,700 people live with the disease. MS is a chronic illness that affects the central nervous system, disrupting the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. It is one of the most common causes of disability among young people, making it imperative to address and support the research ecosystem surrounding MS to help those affected in our community.

"SHRF's support for these two researchers and their teams, Dr. Sarah Donkers (PhD) and Dr. Michael Levin (MD), is a tremendous boost for our MS community," said Mona Bates, the Senior Director from MS Canada Prairie Region.

"We are thrilled to see such dedicated efforts to improve the lives of people living with MS. This partnership brings us closer to better treatments and a brighter future for those affected."

SHRF encourages Saskatchewan researchers to apply to National competitions such as MS Canada. SHRF recently partnered with MS Canada to support two Saskatchewan research projects led by Levin, the inaugural Saskatchewan MS Clinical Research Chair and professor of neurology and Donkers, an associate professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science.

Levin and his team are identifying and screening new small molecules to treat nerve damage in people with Multiple Sclerosis, aiming to slow down the progression of the disease by addressing neurodegeneration, which current treatments do not target.

Donkers and her team are developing an easy-to-use toolkit to help healthcare providers prescribe exercise for people with Multiple Sclerosis. The toolkit aims to improve their physical activity levels and overall well-being. It will be freely available online and distributed to healthcare providers across Canada.

Congratulations to both for their dedication and contributions to advancing MS research and improving the lives of people with MS.

More about the projects:

Dr. Michael Levin (MD)

Discovery Research Grant: Biomedical

Total Awarded: $299,385 SHRF Funded: $50,000

Title: Identifying and screening small molecules for the treatment of neurodegeneration in MS

Project summary: 
Nerve fibre damage and death leads to neurodegeneration, a primary characteristic of MS and is the underlying reason why people living with MS get worse. The source of nerve fibre damage is not well understood, making it difficult to develop effective treatments that target progressive MS.

Dr. Michael Levin and team discovered a protein called ‘heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1’ or ‘hnRNP A1’ that does not function properly in MS. Malfunction of hnRNP A1 causes nerve fibre damage contributing to neurodegeneration, and in turn, disability in people with MS. In this study, the researchers will synthesize and screen for small molecule treatments that can rescue the function of hnRNP A1 and reduce nerve fibre damage in animal models of progressive MS.

Current MS therapeutics are ineffective at targeting neurodegeneration and treating progressive MS. The findings of this research will provide insights into neurodegeneration in MS and potentially identify new treatments for use in pilot clinical trials for progressive MS.

Read the full research summary from MS Canada here.

You can also read the ‘Meet the Researcher’ profile of Dr. Levin from MS Canada here.

Dr. Sarah Donkers (PhD)

Discovery Research Grant: Clinical and Population Health

Total Awarded: $299,611 SHRF Funded: $50,000

Title: Healthcare Providers’ Practices regarding Physical Activity Prescription in the care of People with Multiple Sclerosis

Project summary: 
Extensive research has shown the benefits of physical activity for people living with MS – however, physical activity levels in this population remain low. People with MS need support, that goes beyond education, to implement physical activity in their daily living in a way that is most meaningful and beneficial to them individually. Healthcare providers may be able to provide this support and encourage behaviour change, but they currently do not have access to clinically relevant and user-friendly tools to prescribe physical activity for people with MS.

Dr. Sarah Donkers and team aim to address this critical evidence-to-treatment gap by engaging healthcare providers across Canada to understand the barriers in prescribing physical activity for people with MS. The team will develop a toolkit with necessary resources to support people with MS in being physically active. This toolkit will be made available to healthcare providers across Canada and online on the Canadian best practices web platform (MSBEST).

The findings of this research will provide much needed resources to increase physical activity levels and its beneficial effects among people with MS.

Read the full research summary from MS Canada here.

Article republished courtesy SHRF.