Breakthrough in Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
Canadian doctors have developed a treatment that completely halts the disease— and in some cases even leads to full recovery.
A preliminary medical trial whose results have just been published in the medical journal 'The Lancet' shows that an intensive procedure that completely wipes out the immune system and creates a new system through stem cell transplantation can completely eliminate all signs of multiple sclerosis in patients who have recently developed the disease and suffer from an aggressive form of it.
The research was conducted by Dr. Harold Atkins and Dr. Mark S. Freedman from the Ottawa Hospital. The trial included 24 patients who were followed over several years.
"Our trial is the first to show long-term complete suppression of inflammatory activity in people with multiple sclerosis," says Dr. Atkins, a stem cell transplant specialist. "This is a very exciting trial. However, it's important to note that this treatment has serious side effects and risks, and it's currently suitable for only a small percentage of multiple sclerosis patients. People who have suffered for many years with significant disability due to the disease likely won’t benefit from this treatment."
The doctors believe the treatment—a very intensive procedure that can only be performed in very few hospitals worldwide—is currently suitable only for those whose disease has surfaced in recent years and in an aggressive manner. The trial found that among such patients who received the treatment, 70% experienced complete halt in disease progression. 40% of the participants in the trial experienced sustained remission of symptoms such as vision loss, muscle weakness, and balance problems. None of the trial participants required medication, and their brain shrinkage rate, a measure correlated with multiple sclerosis progression, returned to normal. On the other hand, the risks are similar to those of a bone marrow transplant in leukemia patients. Despite attempts to reduce the risk, researchers cannot rule out serious health issues and even death as a result, and therefore recommend it only in severe cases.
Jennifer Molson is one of those for whom the treatment was particularly effective. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996 when she was just 21 years old and underwent a stem cell transplant in 2002. "Before the transplant, I couldn't walk or work and lived in a nursing home," she says. "Today, I can walk unaided, live in my own home, and work full-time. I was also able to get married. Thanks to this research, I got a second chance at life."
Doctors at the Ottawa Hospital continue to refine the procedure, emphasizing that at this stage, the treatment is offered only to patients with Canadian health insurance.
