Stem Cell Research Progress

[kwarendorf]

This is a very small study, a little more than half way complete. The study is of HSCT, hematopoietic (blood cell-producing) stem cell transplantation. Participants own stem cells are harvested and stored. Their immune cells are then destroyed using chemotherapy. The harvested stem cells are then reintroduced. The goal is to reboot the immune system. The latest results show 78% of the particiopants have had no MS relapses after 3 years. The details can be found at link below.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/News/Interim-Results-Reported-from-Clinical-Trial-of-St

Kyle
PS This is not the study my neurologist is conducting.

[HVAC]

Very cool. I am also wondering if the chemo helps the MS. Since I have been on chemo my MS is hardly there. My neurologist pushed my exams to every two years.

Alex

[immisceo]

Thanks for bringing attention to this. It does seem that the 'reboot' approach is getting a bit of traction as the interim results from the well-conducted trials come out.

That's a major catch with improperly/haphazardly conducted clinical offerings around the globe - there's very little follow up to make any valuable inferences from or to refine any hypotheses. It's kind of pay and go home.

Your take on this is always appreciated, Alex! Interesting about your revisited exam schedule.

[summerluvr]

I'm interested to hear how MS can avoid relapsing since the same stem cell are given back that were there when the MS was active?  I had an auto for my cancer and I'm relapsing and looking at have a second auto, and perhaps following it with an allograft (donor stem cell) transplant.

[kwarendorf]

I'm not sure what type of transplant you had. There are many types of stem cells and multiple types of transplants.

The study I referenced involves harvesting blood producing stem cells and then completely depleting the remaining immune cells. After the immunecells have been eliminated the harvested cells are reintroduced.

The use of stem cell tranplants in treating MS is still in its infancy, THere are very few approved trials under way.  Those that are tend to be very small. THis one has 25 participants. Unless specifically trageting MS it seems unlikely that another type of stem cell transplant would have any meaningful MS benefit, Are the transplants you've received part of an MS trial?

Kyle