The Relevance Of Stem Cell Research In Multiple Sclerosis

Management of multiple sclerosis

Unfortunately, there is no cure for MS but there are treatments available which help to reduce disabilities caused by the disease as well as to reduce symptoms and signs caused by acute attacks. These acute attacks seem to respond well to high doses of intravenous steroid therapy.

Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) is being treated by disease-modifying agents, such as interferon beta-1a and 1b, and are effective in reducing the number of attacks the patient has. Regarding progressive multiple sclerosis, only mitoxantrone had shown any effect in reducing relapse rates and slowing down the disease's progression.

Stem cell therapy

A study was done on 151 patients who underwent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). They were subjected to low-doses of chemotherapeutic medication which suppressed their immune-systems and they were then given stem cells via an infusion. The stem cells, which were harvested from the patients themselves, helped to reboot their immune systems in order to stop producing auto-antibodies which would target central nervous system tissue.

The patients were then followed up with questionnaires regarding their signs and symptoms and with imaging investigations. Two years after this transplant was done, it was found that 50% of the patients involved had showed major improvement in their disability. Of the patients who were followed up 4 years after the transplant was done, more than 80% of them had not experienced relapses of the disease.

The cost of this treatment is very expensive though, reaching the mid-hundred thousand dollar range, but with that been said one has to consider that it is a once off treatment. With the disease-modifying agents costing up to $5000 per month, and remembering that they need to be taken indefinitely otherwise the patient will relapse, HSCT therapy will pay itself off at around 18 months time.  

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It's important to take note that HSCT therapy is not an effective treatment for managing progressive multiple sclerosis. It's also important to remember that if the patient is doing well and functioning on a normal level for them, then they should rather stay on the first-line therapy that they're using. If the patient is experiencing 2 or more relapses a year despite those treatments, then the patients and their doctors should consider stem cell transplantation.

Conclusion

Stem cell transplant therapy is currently only available to patients undergoing clinical trials. The therapy is also available to patients on a compassionate basis, ie. those who have a poor prognosis and who are terminally ill .