Treatment that combines high-dose drug therapy followed by a stem cell transplant has been found to help multiple sclerosis patients, a study finds.

 

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive, degenerative disease that is believed to affect 250,000-350,000 Americans. Although remission is sometimes obtained through treatment, patients often experience relapses. 

 

Researchers at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver treated 24 patients with the relapsing-remitting form of the disease with high dose immunosuppressive therapy, which was followed by a stem cell transplant using their own cells with the goal of removing disease-causing immune cells and resetting the immune system. The combination therapy is known as HDIT/HCT.

 

The study found that that 78.4 patients were free of MS-related events after three years, which was defined as survival without death, disease progression or relapse. In addition, the disease did not progress in nearly 91 percent of the cases, and 86 percent were relapse-free. Improvements in mental, physical and quality of life scores also occurred. No serious adverse side effects were noted.

 

"In the present study, HDIT/HCT induced remission of MS disease activity up to three years in most participants,” the study’s author said. They added that the combination treatment represents an option for MS patients in whom conventional drug treatment has failed.