The University of Saskatchewan multiple sclerosis research team was the recipient of a unique fundraising event earlier this year. MS Clinical Research Chair, Dr. Michael Levin, says they joke that they have their own heifer. Mark and Erin van Haastert decided to auction off one of their heifers and donate the funds to the clinic after Mark was diagnosed with MS and was accepted as one of Dr. Levin’s patients. In just 10 minutes, over $13-thousand-500 was raised, and then Mark’s dad matched that amount, and in the end $30-thousand was raised for clinical research.

Dr. Levin says another unique event recently was a study in real-time at an event where he was supposed to do a speech highlighting MS research to MS patients. He decided instead to do a hand function study on site, with all the appropriate legalities taken care of, which was enthusiastically received. Levin says it was enough preliminary data to do a full scale study. He believes it is people with MS that will cure the disease through fundraising and participating in research.

Earlier this year, CJWW News reported on a promising discovery by the USask team. Stress granules were found in the nerve cells of MS patients. They have been found in connection to other diseases in the past. These stress granules are supposed to protect the cells, but some end up damaging them instead. Dr. Levin hopes to find ways of promoting the ones that protect the cell or get rid of the damaging ones through medication.