Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease near and dear to my heart. My mother’s fiancée has been diagnosed for close to 4 years and since I have known him (2 years), I have witnessed the horrible things this disease does to one’s body. Fatigue and numbness are a daily hindrance, and the constant fear of developing the more severe symptoms is a huge mental toll. Although the amount of research and information available about this disease has increase astronomically since its first sighting in 1838, researchers are still looking for a cure to this chronic, unpredictable disease.

A study published in January of 2015 may lead us one step closer to curing this horrible disease. Dr. Richard A. Nash and his colleagues at the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute have published findings of a four-year study in JAMA Neurology. The study took place between 2006 and 2010 and monitored 24 volunteers who underwent stem cell transplants. By using the patient’s own stem cells, the researchers found that more than 86 percent of the patients remained relapse free after three years, and nearly 91 percent showed no sign of disease progression.

There were a few parameters for the volunteers of this study. Those who were chosen had relapse-remitting MS and did not respond to at least one FDA-approved disease-modifying drug. The patients also needed to be tested on their Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and score between a 3 and 5.5. This test measures cognitive functions and quality of life of MS patients.

The patients were administered high-dose immunosuppressive therapy, which essentially gets rids of their immune system. They were then given stem cells from their own blood. After allowing three to four weeks of hospitalized healing, the volunteers were monitored for four years to monitor their progress.

What exactly is MS, you may ask? It’s a disease that affects the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. The body’s immune system attacks these nerve cells so they cannot function properly. The immune system directly attacks the myelin, which is the insulation around nerve fibers. Healthy nerve cells carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body that give us cognitive and sensory functions. This damaged myelin causes the cells to no longer carry messages properly. This leads to MS patients having problems with walking, serious fatigue, dizziness, numbness, and visual impairment.

The results from the study are very exciting. Most of the current research and testing has resulted in simply preventing any further damage from occurring. However, this study seems to have found a way to improve patient’s lives. Many of the patients have shown remarkable improvement in their EDSS scores.

After over 150 years of serious research and observation, the route to solve MS seems to have been directed towards using stem cells. California’s Stem Cell Agency has given four grants totaling over $10 million to researchers using stem cells. Their healing property and ability to develop into different types of cells allows for scientists to manipulate them in positive ways.

Although scientists have yet to find a cure, their progress is motivating. Hopefully one day there will be no MS. This terrible disease affects the life of 400,000 Americans and over 2.5 million people around the world. It is a scary disease and affects the lives of not only the victims, but their family and friends.

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/ms-patients-who-received-stem-cell-transplants-still-in-remission-010715#3

http://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/a-short-history-of-multiple-sclerosis

http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/multiple-sclerosis-how-could-stem-cells-help

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/dxc-20131884

Multiple Sclerosis Fact Sheet