Toronto, ON (September 15, 2025) – A Canadian-led international research team, spearheaded by Dr. Fang Liu at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has received nearly $800,000 US ($1,137,868 CAD) in new funding to advance a promising therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). Supported by Brain Canada, the National MS Society’s Fast Forward program, and Health Canada through the Canada Brain Research Fund, the project is developing a novel approach to treatment that may halt disease progression and repair nerve damage and restore function.
Around 2.8 million people worldwide live with MS, a condition in which the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) around nerve fibers, disrupting communication between the brain and body. Symptoms such as fatigue, vision problems, and mobility challenges arise when myelin is lost. While current treatments can slow disease activity, none can fix existing damage.
This novel therapy offers a different promise. It targets a destructive process known as excitotoxicity, which harms nerve cells in MS. By blocking this process, without interfering with normal brain function, the treatment encourages the body to rebuild myelin and improve nerve recovery. In animal models of MS, the compound has already shown it can restore motor skills and repair myelin, even when applied after symptoms appeared.
The research team, led by principal investigator Dr. Fang Liu, Senior Scientist at CAMH and professor in department of Psychiatry, U of T, in collaboration Dr. Iain Greig, Reader in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen, is now entering the final stages of preclinical testing to prepare for future human clinical trials. If successful, this would mark Canada’s first regenerative treatment for MS, and potentially other neurodegenerative diseases, offering new hope for patients. CAMH and the University of Aberdeen have patent protected this research and are actively seeking industry partners and investors to further advance this work towards clinical trials.
