Stem Cells and MS

| MS PERSPECTIVES

By Ed Lash

Multiple Sclerosis Quarterly Report, a publication of United Spinal Association and the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis, published an article in its Summer 2009 issue on the prospects of stem-cell transplantation to improve the health of people with MS, even when they are no longer taking drugs like Avonex, Copaxone or Betaseron. Stem-cell transplantation involves purposely wiping out a patient’s immune system, which means destroying most of the red blood cells and bone marrow in the process, and growing new ones using stem cells either from the patient or a donor.

Treating MS with stem-cell transplantation started in 1998 using the person’s own stem cells as part of a treatment regimen. Between 1998 and 2001, 26 patients with MS were treated with this method and are still being followed today. They had different types of MS—relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive. All had severe cases that had not responded to standard MS therapy at that time.

Thus far, approximately 400 patients with MS worldwide have been treated with their own stem cells as part of research studies. Experience from North American and European research indicates that the overwhelming majority are doing well. Recently, six more MS patients are pre-transplanted and reports will be presented at scientific meetings later this year.

It’s also important to remind ourselves that all aggressive therapies hold risks, which researchers are working to minimize.

A few years ago it was reported that an adult mouse had an MS-like disease which paralyzed two of his legs, and he had to drag himself around with his two good legs. Researchers injected neural stem cells from the mouse’s own cells and it improved in time to a point of being able to run around normally.

Earlier this year, One Minute World News reported a small study of MS stem-cell treatment success on humans. Not one of the 21 adults with relapsing-remitting MS, who had stem cells transplanted from their own bone marrow, deteriorated over 3 years, and 81% improved their neurological disability, Lancet Neurology reported. Further tests are now planned, and a UK expert called the work encouraging. One Minute World News also stated: “Stem cells are showing more and more potential in the treatment of MS and the challenge we now face is proving their effectiveness in trials involving large numbers of people.”

Eighty percent of MS patients in a Northwestern University trial showed marked improvement of their symptoms within three years of receiving treatment with their own stem cells. “All therapies to date have focused on slowing progression of disease,” Dr. Richard Burt, Northwestern’s chief of immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases told the Sun-Times. “What this actually did is that it reversed disability. This is the first time we have turned the tide on this disease.”

In MS, the immune system is attacking your brain. After the procedure, it doesn’t do that any more. Of the 21 patients in the trial, 17 showed improvement of their symptoms and none deteriorated. Dr. Burt said that a larger study is needed to confirm the results. He told the Sun Times, “It’s encouraging, but, honestly, it’s unproven until you have a randomized trial that proves it.” One of the study participants, Virginia Commonwealth University student Edwin McClure, told Commonwealth Times that his symptoms have completely disappeared since the treatment. “It opened up the fence that MS had me locked into,” he said.

Stem cells may also be used for other diseases or injuries and can come from a variety of places, including skin cells, bone marrow, and umbilical cord blood. Using your own stem cells will not be rejected in any treatment as can be the case when the transplanted stem cells are obtained from a genetically different donor. One story I read about concerned an Illinois teenager who was paralyzed from the waist down when she was thrown from a car in an accident. By extracting adult stem cells from her nose and using them in the treatment of her spinal cord, she is now able to walk again. This same article mentioned that “Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, have so far resulted in no cures.”

I haven’t seen or heard anything about the cost for stem-cell transplantation, but based on the above information, it certainly looks promising for people with MS, especially for those who are bedridden or in wheelchairs. If that describes you, don’t let your muscles atrophy because dead muscles will not respond to any treatments. So exercise as best you can and get involved with physical therapy to keep all your muscles in reasonable shape, just in case you want to be a candidate for stem-cell therapy yourself. .

Note: Self-help is not intended to replace medical treatment, but should be used together with the help of all appropriate professionals in a team effort.

Ed Lash is a United Spinal member who lives in Trumbull, CT. For more information, or to order his book Multiple Sclerosis – A Patient’s View ($13.95), call 203-445-0118 or by e-mail at edlash.ms.selfhelp@juno.com. For more information about the author, visit him on the Web at www.msselfhelp.net.