TUESDAY, Jan. 15, 2019 — A stem cell transplant may help some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) when standard drugs fail, a new clinical trial finds.
The study focused on 110 patients with aggressive cases of MS: Their symptoms had flared up at least twice in the past year despite taking standard medication, and they’d already tried an average of three of those drugs.
Researchers randomly assigned the patients to either keep trying other medications or have a stem cell transplant — using cells taken from their own blood.
Over an average of three years, MS progressed in 34 of 55 patients on medication — meaning their disabilities worsened. That compared with only three of 55 patients given a stem cell transplant.
It’s a striking difference, said lead researcher Dr. Richard Burt, adding that the results were even better than his team anticipated.
Stem cell transplants are done at many hospitals to treat cancer. But, Bebo said, there’s an “art and science” to using them for MS.
MS is a neurological disorder caused by a misguided immune system attack on the body’s own myelin — the protective sheath around nerve fibers in the spine and brain. Depending on where the damage occurs, symptoms include vision problems, muscle weakness, numbness and difficulty with balance and coordination.
About 85 percent of people with MS are initially diagnosed with the “relapsing-remitting” form of the disease, according to the National MS Society. That means symptoms flare up for a time and then ease. But most people eventually transition to a progressive form of the disease and their disability worsens over time.
Why would a stem cell transplant help? The idea, Burt explained, is to basically “reboot” the immune system and stop it from attacking.
Half of the study patients had that procedure. The other half continued with disease-modifying drugs — like natalizumab (Tysabri), interferon (Avonex) and glatiramer acetate (Copaxone). Those medications can slow, but not stop, MS progression, Burt said.
“It’s unclear how stem cell transplants compare with the most effective current drug therapies,” Bebo said.
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