This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Israel-based BrainStorm is developing NurOwn for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but according to the researchers these stem cells can be used for MS as well. The interim results are very promising:

" "It's very uncommon to give at such an early point in a clinical study efficacy data, but we cannot ignore the fact on an individual basis we could see improvement in many of the patients involved, each one in different areas," Moshe Neuman, CEO of Biomedical Research Design, which serves as a contract research organization for the trial, said. "

" In some patients breathing improved, in others it was muscle strength and in others it was speech, he told Reuters.

Neuman said a final report was expected by the end of the year after each patient has been observed for nine months.

BrainStorm President Chaim Lebovits said the preliminary results demonstrate that the stem cells have the potential not only to stop deterioration but perhaps even cure ALS.

"The coming phases in the trial will have to prove this, but these results also reaffirm our belief that we have an enormous potential of being successful with less severe indications such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's," he said. "

" Patients in the trial were transplanted with stem cells derived from their own bone marrow and treated with the NurOwn stem cell technology.

The Phase I/II trial, designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of BrainStorm's therapy, is being conducted at Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center. The company submitted the interim safety report to Israel's Health Ministry."

It seems to me assuring that Hadassah Medical Center is involved in the clinical trials.

"This important safety and tolerability data are reassuring as we progress to the next half of this trial," said Dimitrios Karussis of the Neurology Department at Hadassah, who is leading the trial. "Although this is an interim safety summary report documenting achievement of the study's primary endpoint, we cannot ignore some possible promising indications of clinical efficacy observed in single patients."

This is what I have found on NurOwn's technology:

"The NurOwn™ technology is based on a novel differentiation protocol which reprograms bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into neuron-supporting cells. These specialized cells, “MSC-NTF”are capable of releasing neurotrophic factors such as Glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

The ability to induce autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells into MSC-NTF cells makes NurOwn™ technology highly attractive for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and PD as well as MS and spinal cord injury."

As far as I see, today there is an overlap between research and treatment, just like in the case of Celltex, when a certain technology is in clinical trials, but in some place they already use it in treatment. Could it be that the above treatment will be available in the near future?

http://www.ascrnetwork.com/component/co ... ients.html

" NY, Petach Tikva, July 2, 2012. -- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTC BB: BCLI), Israeli Channel 2 TV interviewed today a patient suffering from Myasthenia Gravis (MG) and recently diagnosed with ALS. The patient reported that he has experienced visible improvement in his speech, walking, balance, posture, muscle strength, appetite, digestion, and weight gain following compassionate treatment with BrainStorm's NurOwn cell therapy."

" "We are moved by the remarkable results observed following treatment with NurOwn," said Professor Avi Israeli, BrainStorm's Chairman of the Board. "We are hopeful that we will continue to see this kind of improvement in all the patients participating in our current and future clinical trials."
In January 2012 the Company reported initial safety data from the first four patients in BrainStorm's ALS Phase I/II human clinical trial, indicating that treatment with NurOwn did not present any significant side effects and demonstrated some beneficial clinical effects. After reviewing this safety data, the Hadassah Medical Center ethical committee granted approval for the trial to continue. Interim results for the first 12 patients are expected in July 2012."


http://www.ascrnetwork.com/component/co ... erapy.html

The improvement is amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oImcvUbC ... re=related

How long does it take for a treatment like this to become available to the public? 10-15 years? Think HSCT began in the 90's, that's 20 years now. Also, I don't see this fixing the broken immune system, but I hope I'm wrong here.

Hi Pesho,
what caught my attention was the following sentence by the specialist: "...we have an enormous potential of being successful with less severe indications such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's,"

I think we already have a very good treatment available for stopping the underlying overreacting immune system, that is HSCT. This new treatment hopefully would do the repair. I also am thinking that how this treatment would work in itself. What if this treatment fixes things in a month, while your immune system destroys it in many years. Repeated treatments might help??? Anyway, with HSCT it seems really promising to me.

Yes, time seems a problem again. However, it seems to me that procedures are not that much protected by patent as with drugs, so I can imagine if this treatment is working then in a year or two, you might find a clinic where they would treat you. Of course, there is risk, but I think doing nothing and waiting for an approved treatment also is risky. We have to see that by waiting we lose more than what we can regain by an approved therapy that will be available in the future.

Currently, we face the same issue with MSC. There are ongoing clinical trials with colony expanded MSC, but you can already find places where you can get the very same treatment for money. I am just also wondering how much FDA clinical trials can help alliviate our fears of side effects, as I do not think they can anwser long-term risk of cancer and other problems in a few years time frame. How can it be decided if a cancer 15 years after the treatment is caused by the stem cell treatment?

BrainStorm to do MS Stem Cell Study

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI) plans to initiate a preclinical study assessing the efficacy of its NurOwn™ stem cell technology in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Positive proof-of-concept results for MS have been confirmed in a set of in-vitro and in-vivo experiments, and the Company is working to advance MS into preclinical developmentinQ2 2012.

Based on initial promising pre-clinical data published by the Company’s Chief Scientist, Prof. Daniel Offen of Tel Aviv University, BrainStorm has decided to explore MS as an additional indication for its NurOwn technology. The Company will draw plans to initiate pre-clinical safety trials, after which it will seek a leading medical center specializing in MS for clinical trials.

http://www.bioisrael.com/brainstorm-to- ... cell-study