Most MS Patients Who Received Stem Cell Transplants Still in Remission Years Later

[Bob]

A small study that gave a subset of MS patients stem-cell therapy, seems to have had some promising results.

News Article:
Most MS Patients Who Received Stem Cell Transplants Still in Remission Years Later
Newly published study results show no new relapses for most of the HALT-MS study volunteers.
by Jeri Burtchell
7 January 2015
http://www.healthline.com/health-ne...-cell-transplants-still-in-remission-010715#1


Published Research paper:
High-Dose Immunosuppressive Therapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (HALT-MS)A 3-Year Interim Report
Nash RA, Hutton GJ, Racke MK et al.
2014
JAMA Neurol. [Epub ahead of print]
http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2084840

 

[Sushi]

@Bob
Yes, I have a friend in this group and he is doing very well. He runs the group http://www.activemsers.org/

An inspiration to see him slowly improve!

Sushi

 

[Bob]

That's great to hear, Sushi. Thanks for letting us know. Interesting to actually hear about one of the participants.

 

[barbc56]

@Sushi

Did your friend have the stem cell treatment?

My step mom has had RR MS for twenty years but she responds well to the meds.

It sounds like the participants in the study didn't respond to meds but I need to go back and look at the study.

Glad your friend is doing well.

Barb

 

[Sushi]

Did your friend have the stem cell treatment?

Yes, he went to MD Anderson for chemo and then a stem cell transplant. He had not responded to meds and was slowly dying. Not only was the MS halted but each year he has made gains. I posted a YouTube he made about his progress here. A story about him in the NY Times is in that post too.

Sushi

 

[barbc56]

Thanks, Sushi. I used to live in Houston and the medical care is awesome!

My fear would be patients going out of the country to questionable srem cell clinics, so its nice to know, there is a place in the states.

I have bookmarked the video and hope to look at it this weekend. I'm too knackered, to watch it now.

Barb

 

[RYO]

Someone I know closely suffers from CIDP. She tried multiple medications for many years before traveling to Northwestern in Chicago for non ablative stem cell transplant. The physician running this program also uses similar protocol for MS patients. Although there are many serious risks with this treatment, my understanding is that "non ablative" stem cell transplant is better tolerated. She is currently in remission but has not regained full function.

If there was clear evidence that CFS/ME was an autoimmune disorder, I think severely affected (bedbound) patients would consider this treatment.