This second study published in the medical journal JAMA Neurology once again reveals the effectiveness of a treatment, immunosuppressive therapy in the fight against multiple sclerosis. This new process works in two stages. First, immunosuppressive therapy destroys active disease and cells in the body that have become pathogenic and resets the immune system. Then, the researchers transplant the patient with stem cells to rebuild his immune system.
The first study showed that this treatment allowed 69% of participants to be in remission five years later and without an increase in the symptoms of the disease.
Between 1995 and 2006, researchers at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom tested this therapy on 281 patients who suffered from advanced forms of multiple sclerosis and for whom the treatments had not improved their condition or reduced the symptoms of the disease.
An effective but very aggressive therapy
The results of the study showed that this new treatment made it possible to stop the disease in almost half of them (46%), for at least 5 years. The study authors claim that some patients even saw their condition improve.
But 8 (2.8%) transplant-related deaths were reported within 100 days of transplantation.
“The results of this study are encouraging, because they confirm those already carried out”, explains Paolo A. Muraro, author of the study. “But we need to make progress on the risk of death during transplantation.”
Treatment for #MS that ‘resets’ immune system may halt disease for at least 5 yrs – but procedure carries risk https://t.co/fKZ2Yuvj3Qpic.twitter.com/pPsL7Ptm2L
— Imperial College (@imperialcollege) February 21, 2017
Read also:
Vitamin D would reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis
Charcot’s disease: communication with patients would be possible
Multiple sclerosis: a promising drug against both forms of the disease
