This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hello everybody, I have been called out to this study next month and I am very excited it is finally here. I am looking to get any input from the knowledgeable people on this site as to anything that will promote regrowth of mylein or help me through this tough procedure. I look forward to your responses.

The Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation is funding a multi-centre project to determine definitively whether transplanting bone marrow stem cells in people with MS can stop the disease. Led by Dr. Mark Freedman (MS neurologist) and Dr. Harold Atkins (bone marrow transplant physician), both at the University of Ottawa, the study involves 32 people with rapidly progressing multiple sclerosis who are likely to become severely disabled.

Bone Marrow Transplantation Procedure

The researchers are using what is known as autologous stem cell transplantation. They “harvest” a portion of each person’s own stem cells which will then be used to create a "new” immune system once they are transplanted back into the person. Powerful chemotherapy drugs are used to totally eliminate from the body the immune cells that are attacking the protective myelin coating of the central nervous system as well as removing any source of their replenishment.

The many potential risks and complications will be explained to each participant at several meetings before they have to decide about participating in the study. Great caution is being taken to ensure the health and safety of each treated participant, but each step of this treatment carries a risk of serious complications. These may be severe enough in a small percentage of patients to be fatal. A safety committee of experts in the field of bone marrow transplantation and MS will monitor all decisions about patient treatment for their protection.

Your advice would be appreciated.

Hello and welcome to our community. If I understand your message correctly, you yourself are going to be a participant in this groundbreaking research.

I want to take pause and thank you on behalf of the entire MS community for helping advance the understanding of this disease, and we will all be hoping and praying that you receive tremendous benefit from this undertaking. Rarely does huge benefit come without an equal amount of risk and we all owe a debt of gratitude to those like yourself that are willing to participate in revolutionary science.

Again, welcome to the site and my very best wishes. Please keep us posted.

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Disclaimer: Any information you find on this site should not be considered medical advice. All decisions should be made with the consent of your doctor, otherwise you are at your own risk.

Binder,

Dr. Freedman has been working with this kind of stem cell transplantation for a few years now and it looks like he is going to expand the procedure to far more people based on the numbers you have mentioned. He is a very caring MS researcher and has been trying to come up with an answer for MS for many years.

Yes, the procedure is risky because in essence, they are replacing your immune system! This is very hard on the liver and that is likely to be the focus of their monitoring once the procedure has been done. I'm glad to hear that they are spending a lot of time explaining the risks to the patient.

The best of luck should you decide to go through with it.

Harry

Binder,

I second Arron's comments!

Just in case you didn't see the CTV special "The Pioneers" with Dr. Freedman about the study, here's the link. They still have the links for all four parts of the show. It's a must see.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... ?hub=WFive

Dunmann.