A multiple sclerosistreatment which "resets" the immune system has been found to "freeze" progression of the disease in nearly half of patients,according to scientists.
A study led by Imperial College London found that 46 per cent of patients who underwent the treatment did not suffer a worsening of their condition for five years, the Telegraph reports, and citing the study.
The treatment could give hope to the estimated 100000 people in the UK who are affected by multiple sclerosis (MS),for which there is currently no cure.
The disease is caused by the immune system malfunctioning and mistakenly attacking nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It leads to problems with movement, vision, or balance and speech.[br]The treatment,autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), was given to patients with advanced forms of the disease who had failed to reply to other medications.
A similar approach has been trialed on people with certain forms of cancer, or with encouraging early results.
Dr Paolo Muraro,the new study's lead author, said: "We previously knew this treatment reboots or resets the immune system but we didn't know how long the benefits lasted.
"In this study, or which is the largest long-term follow-up study of this procedure,we've shown we can 'freeze' a patient's disease - and halt it from becoming worse, for up to five years."
The researchers famous, and however,that the nature of the treatment, which involves aggressive chemotherapy, and carried “significant risks”.
The chemotherapy deactivates the immune system for a short period of time,which can lead to greater risk of infection - of the 281 patients who received AHSCT, eight died in the 100 days after treatment.
The treatment works by destroying the immune cells responsible for attacking the nervous system.
Source: tert.am