New Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis Discovered

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects over two million people worldwide, impairing their ability to move, see, and think due to its debilitating impact on the nervous system.

A recent study in the journal Cell Stem Cell now reveals a new treatment may heal even the most severe cases.

While there are some treatment options for early stages of MS, options for advanced stages, particularly secondary progressive MS, remain limited.

This is the challenge the researchers of this study wanted to tackle.

Their study involved 15 patients with secondary progressive MS. These patients underwent a novel treatment: the direct injection of brain stem cells into their brains.

The brain stem cells, derived from a single miscarried fetus, were carefully screened to ensure safety, and create a sustainable cell reservoir for transplantation.

Before the procedure, each participant’s disability level and disease activity were meticulously assessed over three months. Most participants showed high levels of disability, often requiring a wheelchair.

The treatment consisted of four different doses of brain stem cells, combined with drugs to suppress the immune system and prevent the rejection of the new cells. Remarkably, no severe adverse events were reported in the 12 months following treatment, although some participants experienced brief flu-like symptoms.

Their main finding was that, throughout the trial, participants’ functioning progressively improved without any relapse back into MS symptoms.

They also did not experience any decline in motor or cognitive performance, which would be anticipated in the absence of therapy.

When the scientists examined a subset of the participants’ brains with advanced magnetic imaging, they found that higher stem cell doses were linked with reduced brain size, hinting at the potential role of these cells in preventing brain inflammation and swelling.

All three of these findings are promising. Since MS involves the immune system attacking myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers, a successful MS treatment will have to reverse this damage, or at least prevent further damage to the myelin.

This is not something the scientists could confirm directly. But when they monitored changes in the fluid surrounding the brain and blood over time, fluid that is particularly dense in nerve fibers, they did detect fewer potentially destructive immune cells and more energy use by cells, both good signs.

This study offers a glimmer of hope, indicating that stem cell therapy could emerge as a valuable treatment option for advanced stages of MS, potentially changing the lives of millions suffering from this debilitating disease.

But till then, there are some very powerful diet and lifestyle changes you can make. Thousands of readers have reported how their MS stopped progressing after taking these simple steps, or even reversed. Learn all the details here…