Harnessing endogenous repair in multiple sclerosis

Start Term
End Term
Funding Amount
$238,000
Affiliation(s)
University of Calgary
Geographic Region(s) / Province(s)
Alberta
Researcher(s)
Dr. Carlos Camara-Lemarroy
Research Priorities
Repair/Remyelination
Impact Goal(s)
Understand and Halt Disease Progression

Generously funded by the Frederick and Isabella Troop Family Foundation.

 

Project Summary:

  • There is a need for effective therapeutic strategies that enhance remyelination, the process of repairing the protective covering of nerve fibers called myelin.
  • Dr. Carlos Camara-Lemarroy and team have preliminary results that remote ischemic preconditioning (REIP), a non-drug intervention, may lead to improvements that promote remyelination in animal models of MS.
  • In this study, the team aims to further characterize the effect of REIP in mice with MS-like disease to understand its role in remyelination. They will also conduct a pilot study in people with progressive MS to test the therapeutic potential of REIP.

Project Description:

Remyelination is a promising therapeutic strategy for progressive MS. However, there is currently no intervention that effectively promotes this process. Remote ischemic preconditioning (REIP) is a non-pharmacologic intervention that involves temporarily blocking blood flow of a limb (arm or leg) for short periods of time, causing the body to produce certain substances that could potentially help with remyelination in the brain.

Dr. Carlos Camara-Lemarroy and team have previously shown that REIP in mice leads to improvements in damaged myelin. REIP is also a safe and easy procedure to do in humans and has shown improvements in studies of stroke.

In this project, the researchers aim to examine the remyelination potential and mechanism of REIP in mice with MS-like disease. The researchers will also test whether REIP in people with progressive MS leads to production of protective factors in the blood and disability improvement in a pilot clinical study. 

Potential Impact: Research from this study will provide needed information about the potential of REIP for MS, as a safe and inexpensive non-pharmacologic treatment that promotes remyelination. 

Project Status: In Progress