Global gathering in Toronto focuses on fight against MS

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From Oct. 20 to 23, Toronto will be the centre of the universe when it comes to treatment and research related to multiple sclerosis (MS).

About 8,000 participants from 100 countries are expected to be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for MSToronto2026, the short name for a global meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS).

Most of the activity will be exclusively for those who are registered for the event — researchers, clinicians, and healthcare practitioners from around the world.
But as a service for those who are unfamiliar with MS, a brief education:

What is MS?

From the MS Canada website: “MS is a neurological disease of the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.” Messages between the body and the brain wind up distorted.

The adverse effects of MS on a person can “affect daily functioning, including visual deficits, speech deficits, weakness in limbs, sensory problems, bladder/bowel problems, incoordination and imbalance, depression, anxiety, and cognitive challenges that can greatly impact the ability to live a ‘regular’ life,” according to Dr. Jiwon Oh, a Toronto-based expert in the field.

Dr. Oh, among other duties, is a medical director at the BARLO Multiple Sclerosis Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital. The BARLO Centre is one of the world’s leading hubs for MS treatment and research.

Is any part of MSToronto2026 open to the public?

“Patient Community Day” takes place on Fri. Oct. 23 from 3-6 p.m. It is accessible live at the convention centre, or by registering online. Patients can learn about the latest research, and ask questions of the expert presenters.

Why is MS significant to Canadians?

From the MS website: “Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, with an estimated 90,000 Canadians living with the disease. On average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed with MS every day.”

There is no clear reason for this, but Dr. Oh suggests that “it partly has to do with genetics, partly environmental (we know that there is a higher incidence of MS as you get further away from the equator … and in some cases, this is because of lower exposure to sunlight and lower Vitamin D levels).”

Do any well-known Canadians have MS?

Toronto’s Noah Shebib, known professionally as “40,” is a music producer who works with Drake and other performers. Shebib was diagnosed with MS in his early 20s.

“Your brain is tricked, so your nerves are telling you something that’s not true,” Shebib said in a 2012 interview with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Aaron Solowoniuk of Mississauga is a member of the band Billy Talent. Solowoniuk was diagnosed with MS at age 24, and continued to be the band’s drummer until 2016.

“The hardest thing for me with MS is how unpredictable it is,” Solowoniuk said in a 2020 Instagram post by MS Canada. “Just when I think I am getting ahead and doing well, MS shows up and knocks me down.”

Former National Hockey League player Bryan Bickell of Bowmanville was part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams in Chicago. He was diagnosed with MS in 2016, and retired from hockey at the end of the 2016–17 season.

“Hockey taught me the importance of perseverance and teamwork, and I’ve carried these lessons into my new life with MS,” Bickell said in a 2017 interview with Multiple Sclerosis News Today.

Dr. Oh also mentions that celebrities Christina Applegate, Montel Williams, and Selma Blair are some of the public faces of MS in the United States.

Is there a recent breakthrough in MS treatment?

Dr. Oh is excited about new drugs that could act as Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. Dr. Oh explained in a Lancet Neural review article that BTK inhibitors are of interest to multiple sclerosis researchers because they modulate various types of immune cells that have key roles in multiple sclerosis pathophysiological processes.

“There will be new treatments available (hopefully soon) that more convincingly target progressive MS disease mechanisms — including BTK-inhibitors — that I think will usher in a new era of treatments for MS,” according to Dr. Oh.

“Ultimately, these treatments will allow people with MS to minimize the risk of disease progression, which will improve clinical outcomes in the longer run.”

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