Stem cell transplant after chemotherapy halted MS lesions

Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa and colleagues published data showing immunoablation followed by a stem cell transplant halted clinical relapses and development of new brain lesions in 23 of 24 multiple sclerosis patients. Patients in the single-arm Phase II study all previously received standard immunosuppressive therapy that did not control their disease.

According to a paper published in The Lancet, MS activity-free survival was 69.6% at three years after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the study's primary endpoint. MS activity-free survival was measured by clinical relapse, appearance of new or Gd-enhancing brain lesions, and sustained progression of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores. ...