The use of monoclonal antibodies in multiple sclerosis is growing
The general use of monoclonal antibodies in multiple sclerosis and other imune diseases is ever more apparent. One may be reminded that it was some 20 years ago that the present revolution was ignited, when the imune and rejuvenating effect of the drugs used in bone marrow transplantation were grasped by the clinical research community. […]
Imaging measures of neuroprotection and repair in MS
After a workshop in 2016 in Toronto on neuroprotection and repair, a consensus was obtained. Conventional MRI, magnetization transfer ratio, diffusion tensor imaging, susceptibility weighted imaging, imaging of cortical lesions, MR spectroscopy, PET and advanced diffusion imaging were considered. Jiwon Oh et al. Northamerican Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis (NAIMS). Neurology 2019, 92:519-533 There are no […]
Checkpoint inhibitors and therapeutic madness in MS
The use of checkpoint inhibitors for therapy of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy is amazing, or frightening, to say the least. This is a deadly brain infection which is very rare. It became somewhat more common when the therapy of HIV infection was in its early days. Many AIDS patients perished of this viral infection caused by […]
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) represents a potentially useful approach to slow or prevent progressive disability in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). To compare the effect of nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation vs disease-modifying therapy (DMT) on disease progression, between September 20, 2005, and July 7, 2016, a total of 110 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, at […]
Treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis with fingolimod versus Interferon Beta-1a
Treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis, or patients younger than 18 years of age with multiple sclerosis, has not been adequately examined in randomized trials. We compared fingolimod with interferon beta-1a in this population. In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients 10 to 17 years of age with relapsing pediatric multiple sclerosis in a […]
Cyclophosphamide improves tolerance after transplantation
Cyclophosphamide is closely linked to the development of immunology, cancer therapy and transplantation. Immunology became the intensely active field it is nowadays in part due to understanding of diseases and in part due to animal laboratory research. Bone marrow transplantation was developed in animal research in the 1950s and 1960s. Allogeneic transplantation of bone marrow, […]
Autologous hematopoietic stem cells and ALS
The relationship between stem cells and ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – is relatively complex, but an old one. It has been 13 years now since, in July 2005, we started giving cyclophosphamide in high doses and observed that it had a mild effect on the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as others had noted […]
Comparative trial of stem cell transplant for multiple sclerosis
An international study of stem cell transplant has shown haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is effective and safe for people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis. The MIST trial showed haematopoietic stem cell transplantation can stabilise relapsing multiple sclerosis and improve disability in people who were previously experiencing relapses while on disease modifying therapies (DMTs).The results […]
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Sclerosis.
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) may be effective in aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that fail to respond to standard therapies. Data were obtained in a multicenter, observational, retrospective study. Valid data were obtained from 25 centers in 13 countries for 281 evaluable patients, with median follow-up of 6.6 years (range, 0.2-16 years). […]
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant in multiple sclerosis
Immunoablative therapy followed or not by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant has been investigated for 20 years in a scenario where there are no approved medications that effectively prevent, reverse, or stabilize secondary progressive, primary progressive, or some patients with very aggressive RR multiple sclerosis who do not respond to conventional DMT. The hypothesis is […]
