MS Breakthrough

Stem cell transplants have helped completely paralysed multiple sclerosis patients walk again.

18:16 20 January 2016

Multiple sclerosis patients, who were completely paralysed due to their condition, have told of their joy at being able to walk, cycle and swim again after undergoing stem cell transplants.

 

Around two dozen Brits aged 20s and 50s were part of Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital’s world first stem cells clinical trial. The procedure, which involves carrying out bone marrow transplants using the patient’s own stem cells, is already in use in treating cancer patients on the NHS.

 

Prof John Snowden, consultant haematologist at Royal Hallamshire Hospital, said: “It’s clear we have made a big impact on patients’ lives, which is gratifying.

 

“Considering some of the patients were bed-bound when we first saw them, the results are amazing.

 

“The potential is certainly there for this to be used to treat patients with other conditions, for instance those with Crohn’s disease, lupus and even arthritis.”

 

The treatment, which costs £30,000, is the first to reverse the symptoms of MS, which affects about 100,000 people in Britain. Those who were treated more than three years ago show no signs of relapse.

 

Dr Emma Gray, head of clinical trials at UK’s MS Society, said: “Ongoing research suggests stem cell treatments such as HSCT could offer hope, and it’s clear that, in the cases highlighted by Panorama, they’ve had a life-changing impact.

 

“However, trials have found that, while HSCT may be able to stabilise or improve disability in some people with MS, it may not be effective for all types of the condition.

 

“We want people to be aware that HSCT is an aggressive treatment that comes with significant risks.

"It needs to be carried out at an accredited centre or as part of a clinical trial.

 

“The MS Society has recently funded a study looking into the impact of HSCT on the immune system and we’d like to see larger trials in this area.

 

"They would help us learn more about the safety and long term effectiveness of the treatment and who could benefit from it.”