Treatment found to halt some cases of MS

Researchers from Imperial College London have highlighted that a risky therapy designed to treat multiple sclerosis has been tested on patients and found to stop the disease for some participants for at least five years.

The autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation or AHSCT treatment involves using toxic drugs to wipe out the patient’s immune system, and then rebooting it with a stem cell transplant.

Currently MS is an incurable disease which causes the body’s immune system to attack the protective coating of nerves in the brain and spinal cord, which can create problems with a person's vision, walking and balance.

The data collated by the researchers found out of 281 people who had the treatment, nearly half benefited, but eight died shortly afterwards. The findings indicated that patients who are younger, who are not responding to other MS drugs and who have relapsing MS, might benefit from AHSCT.

Lead investigator Dr Paolo Muraro said: "We previously knew this treatment reboots or resets the immune system - and that it carried risks - but we didn't know how long the benefits lasted.

"In this study, which is the largest long-term follow-up study of this procedure, we've shown we can 'freeze' a patient's disease - and stop it from becoming worse, for up to five years.

"However, we must take into account that the treatment carries a small risk of death and this is a disease that is not immediately life-threatening."

Dr Sorrel Bickley, Head of Biomedical Research at the MS Society, added: “This study is one of the largest to date looking at AHSCT as a treatment for MS and the findings offer some encouraging insights. It shows that AHSCT can slow or stop progression for many years, and the treatment is most effective in people with MS who have ‘active inflammation’ in their brain and spinal cord.

“There are more than 100,000 people with MS in the UK, it’s a challenging and unpredictable condition to live with and that’s why the MS Society is funding research like this to further our knowledge and find treatments for everyone.

 “If anyone with MS is considering AHSCT they should speak to their neurologist as a referral is needed to access this treatment via a trial or on the NHS.”