A Cure for MS?

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Ottawa doctors' high-risk MS treatment yields 'impressive' results, Lancet finds
13-year trial 'first treatment to produce this level of disease control, neurological recovery,' journal finds.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ms-treatment-impressive-results-ottawa-lancet-1.3609031

Possibly, just possibly, they are on to something.

At Lancet:

Immunoablation and autologous haemopoietic stem-cell transplantation for aggressive multiple sclerosis: a multicentre single-group phase 2 trial

Science marches on.

 

[Swordfishtrombone]

Wow. That's impressive!

With a disease like that, I bet many sufferers would take the associated risk for a chance to get better.

This might actually work for other severe autoimmune diseases also. I'm thinking of ALS, but although it's cause is largely unknown still, it may just have something to do with the immune system.

Someone near the terminal end of ALS would surely roll the dice with any treatment, even a dangerous long shot.

I really hope this pans out, the procedure is reproduced and the results reproducible. This could be a MAJOR medical break through. Nobel price material for sure, if it pans out.

 

[theprestige]

I for one can't wait to see the inevitable whining that the people who make the effort to bring this cure to market don't deserve to be generously rewarded by the people whose lives they're saving.

 

[Gilbert Syndrome]

Ottawa doctors' high-risk MS treatment yields 'impressive' results, Lancet finds
13-year trial 'first treatment to produce this level of disease control, neurological recovery,' journal finds.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ms-treatment-impressive-results-ottawa-lancet-1.3609031

Possibly, just possibly, they are on to something.

At Lancet:

Science marches on.

Yeah, my girlfriend has MS, she actually did have a mild dose of chemo last year and will get another stronger one in September since she progresses so rapidly. She'll likely need a third round, too. She spoke about this treatment with her doctor, but it'd likely be too risky for her seeing as she's already being treated with chemo.

It's good that it's working for some people, hopefully there'll be more to come.

 

[MikeG]

Interesting.

A friend of ours had an identical (in principal) treatment for a rare blood cancer with an extremely low survival rate 2 years ago, and is in full remission now. It would be nice to think that another friend who visited us yesterday might benefit from this. Her MS is progressing rapidly, and she'll be in a wheelchair permanently very soon. It's a horrible disease.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

A couple of more news items about this:

Tim Caulfield, a University of Alberta professor who has been tracking stem cell research, noted the difference between this robust finding and the unfounded claims in stem cell clinics around the world: "This is a fascinating development … [and] a good example of the difference between the real clinical research and what is being marketed by the clinics providing unproven therapies — you can't simply ‘inject’ stem cells and expect significant results."

http://www.vox.com/2016/6/9/11898512/multiple-sclerosis-stem-cell-chemo

Lots of info and graphs from the Lancet.

And this personal aspect:

There was a time when Dr. Harold Atkins and Jennifer Molson would never have envisioned that one day they'd pass each other in the hallways of the Ottawa Hospital’s General campus, each going about their busy work days.

Today, they are colleagues. Atkins is a stem cell transplant physician, while Molson is a research assistant in the Ages Cancer Assessment Clinic.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to see her,” Atkins said.

In addition to being colleagues, Molson is also Atkins’ patient, and that of Dr. Mark Freedman, a neurologist, senior scientist and director of the MS Research Unit at the General campus.

Fourteen years ago, Molson became the fifth person to have her diseased immune system stripped away with chemotherapy and then receive a transplant with her own blood stem cells as part of a clinical trial to treat her early, aggressive multiple sclerosis.

http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/...n-its-tracks-by-ottawa-hospital-breakthrough/

Now all over the MSM. But you read it here first.

 

[Caper]

Wasn't there a miracle treatment for MS years ago? Some surgical procedure that opened up veins in the neck or something? I remember it was pretty big in the news.... then just kind of faded. My uncle has bad MS.. has gotten worst as he aged. Love to see some way to help him.. and everyone else.

When you hear miracle cure or treatment I kind of just become very skeptical because of how horribly the term is being over used... But in the last few months I've been hearing of new advances like gene editing and maybe we are finally about to turn a corner on some major advances.

 

[SusanB-M1]

Just a minute ago (on BBC Radio 4 PM prog) I heard an interview with a doctor who, eight years on, is still in remission. Very interesting.

 

[rjh01]

I wonder how many more years before anyone with severe MS would be able to get this treatment? They know how good it is and the common side-effects.

 

[Molinaro]

I wonder how many more years before anyone with severe MS would be able to get this treatment? They know how good it is and the common side-effects.

Since it looks like it's just a combination of two existing treatments, chemo and stem cell transplant, rather than the manufacture of some new medication, it should be rapidly available.

 

[robin75]

Could this potentially work on other leukodystrophies or is it specific to MS?

 

[ThunderChunky]

After reading this thread I was curious why this type of strategy hadn't been done before, apparently it has been tested since 1995 and the techniques have improved considerably.

Could this potentially work on other leukodystrophies or is it specific to MS?

Unless the causative factors in those other leukodystrophies are mediated through the immune system, I doubt it. It's basically like an immune system transplant and MS is an autoimmune disease. The same strategy is being tested with type 1 diabetes.

 

[robin75]

After reading this thread I was curious why this type of strategy hadn't been done before, apparently it has been tested since 1995 and the techniques have improved considerably.



Unless the causative factors in those other leukodystrophies are mediated through the immune system, I doubt it. It's basically like an immune system transplant and MS is an autoimmune disease. The same strategy is being tested with type 1 diabetes.

OK, thanks. I was specifically wondering about CARASIL which is a genetic defect in the nocht3 gene so pretty sure that's a no.

 

[rjh01]

After reading this thread I was curious why this type of strategy hadn't been done before, apparently it has been tested since 1995 and the techniques have improved considerably.



Unless the causative factors in those other leukodystrophies are mediated through the immune system, I doubt it. It's basically like an immune system transplant and MS is an autoimmune disease. The same strategy is being tested with type 1 diabetes.

Should also work on arthritis. Though how a body can repair damaged joints I do not know. It might be a better alternative than joint replacements for the young.