A pioneering new stem cell treatment is
allowing multiple sclerosis sufferers to walk, run and even dance again,
in results branded ‘miraculous’ by doctors.
Patients who have been wheelchair-bound for 10 years have regained the
use of their legs in the groundbreaking therapy, while others who were
blind can now see again.
The treatment, is the first to reverse the symptoms of MS, which has no cure, and affects around 100,000 people in Britain. The two dozen patients who are taking part in the trials at the Royal
Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield and Kings College Hospital, London,
have effectively had their immune systems ‘rebooted’.
Although it is unclear what causes MS, some doctors believe that it is
the immune system itself which attacks the brain and spinal cord,
leading to inflammation and pain, disability and in severe cases, death.
In the new treatment, specialists use a high dose of chemotherapy to knock out the immune system before rebuilding it with stem cells taken from the patient’s own blood.
Stem cells are so effective because they can become any cell in the body based on their environment.
"Since we started treating patients three years ago, some of the results we have seen have been miraculous," Professor Basil Sharrack, a consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
"This is not a word I would use lightly, but we have seen profound neurological improvements."
“New treatments for MS are urgently needed, but as yet there are no stem cell therapies licensed for MS anywhere in the world. This means they aren't yet established as being both safe and effective. This type of stem cell therapy is very aggressive and does carry significant risks, so we would strongly urge caution in seeking this treatment outside of a properly regulated clinical trial."
In the new treatment, specialists use a high dose of chemotherapy to knock out the immune system before rebuilding it with stem cells taken from the patient’s own blood.
Stem cells are so effective because they can become any cell in the body based on their environment.
"Since we started treating patients three years ago, some of the results we have seen have been miraculous," Professor Basil Sharrack, a consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
"This is not a word I would use lightly, but we have seen profound neurological improvements."
“New treatments for MS are urgently needed, but as yet there are no stem cell therapies licensed for MS anywhere in the world. This means they aren't yet established as being both safe and effective. This type of stem cell therapy is very aggressive and does carry significant risks, so we would strongly urge caution in seeking this treatment outside of a properly regulated clinical trial."
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