Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). The disease impacts a nerve’s covering by “tricking” the immune system to attack itself. Over time, MS impacts the way that your cells communicate with the rest of your body.
Stem cell transplantation offers a promising therapy that may protect the cells from further damage and deterioration.
What are Stem Cells and How Do They Work in Treatment?
What is stem cell transplantation? It’s a way for therapy to replace damaged cells. The treatment works by injecting healthy stem cells into the body to potentially stop the brain from further damage from the disease.
Treatment is often administered when other treatment options have been exhausted and no other options are available.
In current treatment options, doctors:
- Extract stem cells from the person’s own bone marrow
- Replenish the bone marrow with the person’s cells
What are the Most Effective Ways of Treating Multiple Sclerosis Using Stem Cells?
Multiple sclerosis has many treatment options, but HSCT is the most intense of them all. HSCT is often used as a form of chemotherapy because it will reset the immune system and then, hopefully, regrow the immune system.
Unfortunately, the result of HSCT is a complete restart of the immune system, making potential sickness very serious.
Mesenchymal stem cells are also being tested for their ability to help MS patients, but these cells are less common than aHSCT.
The Process of Stem Cell Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis
What is stem cell transplantation? It depends on the type of stem cell treatment offered, but aHSCT works by destroying the person’s current immune system. The goal is to “reset” the person’s immune system using a process that includes:
- Preparation begins and you’ll be administered medicine that will increase blood-producing stem cells. Stimulating the growth of these cells will allow more of them to enter the bloodstream from the bone marrow. The new cells will be extracted and frozen to use them for the rebuilding of your immune system.
- Chemotherapy will begin next. You’ll need to be in the hospital while the chemo is meant to destroy your immune cells to allow for a full reset.
- Once the chemo is complete, your doctor will inject stem cells back into the bloodstream through your veins.
- Over the next 3 – 6 months, the immune system will begin to restore itself. White blood cell production will increase during this period in an effort to replace the missing immune system.
Treatment may require you to remain in the hospital for three weeks or more. You may be required to attend follow-up visits for several years, including blood tests, medical evaluations and MRIs.
Although the process is considered generally safe, you may experience side effects. Chemotherapy hinders immune function, which can make your body more vulnerable to infections and other health issues. Potential complications can include:
- Anemia
- Mouth sores
- Low platelet count
- Myelosuppression
It’s important to note that stem cell therapy is advancing rapidly and safety along with it.
Why is Stem Cell Therapy the Best Option to Treat MS?
A wide range of preclinical studies demonstrate the promise of multiple sclerosis treatment with stem cells.
Through stem cell transplantation, patients with MS receive healthy stem cells that replace specific cells in their bodies.
Research has shown that autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) can be effective at:
- Stopping inflammation associated with MS activity
- Improving neurological disability
Other studies have found that aHSCT may actually suppress the disease’s activity for several years in 70-80% of patients with MS.
Several clinical trials have analyzed the effectiveness of MSC therapy (another type of stem cell therapy). Researchers believe that MSC’s effectiveness is due to their ability to:
- Release trophic factors, which help neurons develop in the brain
- Modulate the immune system
- Regenerate
- Differentiate into a variety of cells
The benefit of stem cell therapy is that stem cells can transform into other types of cells, allowing them to address the root cause of the disease. Doctors can, essentially, destroy the patient’s dysfunctional immune system and allow stem cells to build a brand new, functioning immune system.
Other types of stem cell therapies are also being used in the treatment of MS with the hopes of reducing symptoms and helping patients improve their quality of life.
Final Thoughts
MS is an autoimmune disease that can greatly affect a person’s quality of life, leading to difficulty walking, blurred vision, dizziness, blurred vision, muscle spasms and other symptoms. While there are several treatment options for this condition, stem cell therapy shows great promise.
