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Three multiple sclerosis patients treated with cells from their own fat tissue have shown a "dramatic improvement" researchers have reported.
One man became free of the agonising seizures that had plagued him for years.
Another regained his balance and co-ordination, and a third man who was previously paralysed was reported to be running and riding a bicycle.
However, scans showed that in all three patients sites of damage to the nervous system remained after the treatment.
The case studies do not count as scientific evidence because no comparisons were made with untreated patients. But the US researchers say they raise the prospect of a safe and simple MS therapy based on fatty stem cells.
Each of the patients was injected with many millions of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells taken from their own adipose, or fat, tissue.
SVF cells are a population of fat cells containing two kinds of stem cell as well as immune system cells. Stem cells are immature cells that can develop into a number of different tissues.
MS is an auto-immune disorder in which the body's own defences attack nerve cells, destroying their covering of fatty myelin. Without myelin nerves cannot transmit messages properly, leading to symptoms ranging from mild tingling and loss of balance to complete paralysis. Around 85,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition.
Animal studies had previously suggested that SVF stem cells may limit the immune reaction and promote the growth of new myelin.
Dr Boris Menev, from the University of California in San Diego, who led the "compassionate use" investigation, said: "All three patients in our study showed dramatic improvement in their condition after the course of SVF therapy. While obviously no conclusions in terms of therapeutic efficacy can be drawn from these reports, this first clinical use of fat stem cells for treatment of MS supports further investigations into this very simple and easily implementable treatment methodology."

link

Interesting...maybe placebo effect, since the 3 patients showed no change on their "sites of damage" and remyelination would be a change. Or maybe the means of action is that stromal vascular fraction fats cells broke down venous congestion in the veins? Just sayin'....

AC

The Institute for Cellular Medicine in Costa Rica is using fat tissue derived stem cells to treat MS patients. They use these cells in combination with cord blood stem cells. There's been quite a migration of patients heading down there to get the treatment, with most reporting positive results. Of course, all the evidence is anecdotal...

There is evidence that these kinds of stem cells have a strong anti-inflammatory action, and also appear to be immuno modulating. My take is that these patients are benefiting from a combination of these effects.

Here's the blog of somebody who recently underwent the therapy. She seems credible enough...

http://www.ilovemynewstemcells.com/

Thanks for the info and the blog, Marc.
I found the case reports and paper from San Diego-
Non-expanded adipose stromal vascular fraction cell therapy for multiple sclerosis

These patients had intrathecal infusions of SVF cells along with intravenous infusions of allogeneic CD34+ and mesenchymal stem cells...this is different than the gal who went to Costa Rica...where they only do intrathecal SVF. Here's the rationale from the paper-

Endothelial Progenitor Cells
In addition to MSC content, it was identified that SVF contains endothelial precursor cells (EPC). A common notion is that vasculature tissue continually replenishes damaged endothelial cells de novo from circulating bone marrow derived EPC (27), and that administration of exogenous EPC in animals having damaged vasculature can inhibit progression of atherosclerosis or restenosis (28, 29). Miranville et al demonstrated that
human SVF cells isolated from subcutaneous or visceral adipose tissue contain a population of cells positive for CD34, CD133 and the drug efflux pump ABCG2 (30).
These cells had endothelial colony forming ability in vitro, and in vivo could induce angiogenesis in a hindlimb ischemia model. Interestingly, the concentrations of cells with the phenotype associated with in vivo angiogenic ability, CD31 negative and CD34 positive, was positively associated with body mass index. This suggests the possibility
that endothelial precursor cell entrapment in adipose tissue of obese patients may be related to the reduced angiogenic function seen in obesity (31). Several other groups have reported CD34 positive cells in the SVF capable of stimulating angiogenesis directly or through release of growth factors such as IGF-1, HGF-1 and VEGF (32-35).
The existence of a CD34 positive subset in the SVF may indicate possibility of cells with not only endothelial but also hematopoietic potential.

Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels...CD 34 increases circulation.
The results for all 3 patients were pretty amazing...
AC

Actually, the clinic in Costa Rica does intrathecal injections of autologous fat cell derived stromal stem cells, and intravenous infusions of cord stem cells. The woman whose site I linked to was treated with both types of cells during her four week stay in San Jose...

The paper you linked to is very informative, and among its authors and contributors are the researchers involved with the treatment centers in Costa Rica and Panama City, which are two arms of the same clinic, the Cell Medicine Institute.

The paper reiterates the points I made in my previous post, that the cells are both anti-inflammatory and immuno modulating. They're proposing this kind of therapy for a wide range of inflammatory diseases...

We will discuss the cellular components of adipose tissue, the
biology of these components, how they may be involved in suppression of
inflammatory/immunological aspects of MS, and conclude by providing case reports of three patients treatment with autologous adipose derived cells.

The cells may indeed prove to be capable of angiogenesis, but that effect was not looked at in the study. The fact that MRIs did not show evidence of cell regeneration isn't that surprising, as the anti-inflammatory and/or immuno modulating properties of the treatment wouldn't be apparent on MRI images...

Thanks for the clarification on the Costa Rica protocol, Marc...
Something to keep our eyes on!

You're right, these cells go after the inflammatory issues of autoimmune disease-I just find it curious that the supposed "immune modulation" properties are touted, since this is the first time such a link in humans is reported. Why not the anti-inflammatory and endothelial repair actions?
From the paper:

Although non-expanded SVF cells have been used
successfully in accelerating healing of Crohn’s fistulas, to our knowledge clinical use of these cells for systemic immune modulation has not been reported.

Previous use of SVF cells helped heal fistulas. Definition:
A fistula is an abnormal connection between two organs or body structures, which are not normally connected, created by inflammation and infection.

I suppose I just find it curious that the research labels the restorative action of these cells as "immune modulating"...without any actual proof that the immune system has changed. Whereas the healing of fistulas (something akin to a venous ulcer) is seen as secondary. Does anyone else find this odd?
AC

The improvement seen in Crohn's patients could certainly be attributed to the anti-inflammatory actions of the stromal stem cells. Crohn's is highly inflammatory in nature, and the anti-inflammatory actions of the cells could resolve the fistulas associated with the disease.

The researchers working with these stromal stem cells tout both their immuno modulating and anti-inflammatory properties, and both qualities have been observed in numerous animal and in vitro studies. The anti-inflammatory action of the cells is generally accepted, whereas the immuno modulating properties have not been as widely embraced.

I suspect the reason the researchers may currently be emphasizing the immuno modulating properties of the cells they're using might be to differentiate these treatments from other anti-inflammatory treatments, of which many abound.

My suspicion about the results they are seeing, based not only on this recent three patient study but on dozens of case studies and personal testimonies you'll find around the net, is that most of the benefit patients are seeing are due to the anti-inflammatory component of the treatment, in combination with a rigorous physical therapy regimen that the patients are put through while down in San Jose.

In my opinion, the work being done by Dr. Shimon Slavin in Tel Aviv with autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells is built upon a stronger scientific foundation, and stands more chance of demonstrating actual neural regeneration. I've spoken directly with both the people in San Jose and in Tel Aviv, and while I don't discount the work being done in Costa Rica, I feel the Israelis are making a stronger case. So much so, in fact, that I will likely be traveling there this summer to undergo treatment...

Here's a discussion that should be of interest if you're curious about the Costa Rican stem cell procedure...

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82897

marcstck wrote:So much so, in fact, that I will likely be traveling there this summer to undergo treatment...

Marc...this is exciting news.
please keep us all posted!
Joan

here are some US clinical trials which i may be able to particapate maybe anyone interested can too:

Autologous CD34 + hematopoietic SCT

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ ... s&rank=133

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ ... s&rank=213

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ ... ainContent

" i new my fat cells would come in handy one day"

Interesting...maybe placebo effect, since the 3 patients showed no change on their "sites of damage" and remyelination would be a change. Or maybe the means of action is that stromal vascular fraction fats cells broke down venous congestion in the veins? Just sayin'....

Oh my, the MRI sees several things related to MS lesions, Old lesions are scars and that is visible on MRI too not just demyelination. Lesions will only go away if they are new lesions and simply inflammtion or demyelination that can reverse. Many MS lesions seen n MRI do not fit this desription at all, so will be permanently visible lifelong.

If you had a stroke the damage on MRI will always be there whether it is new and you are totally messed up, or old and you now learned to funciton well. The brain works around these things with time, but that is not becuase the lesion is gone, we just can't see the workarounds with MRI.

I also believe that if the CCSVI hypothesis of MS cause trns out to be correct, it is important to remember that stenosis is not actually MS. MS is a neurological disease, they could be almost separate.

In that model the brain issue is secodary to the vein issue. Anything that heals the brain would heal the brain, but it might come back later as long as whatever it is that triggers these events is still there, like is it true that the blockage allows reflux only when there is a straining event, and THAT is the issue? I don't know but it seems to me that it would be possible to clean the area up, get some healing and stabilisation, then WHAM! you do --something, move a couch? strain hard to lift weight at the gym?-- and the brain gets hit again with a new round of reflux and new damage happens. Speculation of course.

I emailed cell medicine docs about 3 years ago and as interested but treatment for RA and MS was 40K so I decided to wait for more data and have a file in my computer on everything I've seen since then.

Prockop at Tulane is doing work on MSC's that he hopes will lead to treatment of autoimmune diseases in the way described: simply as a bolus of stem cells forget the chemo. I heard him in early morning talk interview on the radio about 2 years ago on that.

I think it is further alng than it would seem concept wise, it just lacks to commercial drivers to really let it take off. I'm glad to see the companies you listed Marc. That'll help.

Hopefully if the Zamboni materials end up being adopted as the MS model this other work wil continue, we will still need brain repair, bu then again so does everyone else (stroke etc) so it probably will continue apace.

Here's a discussion that should be of interest if you're curious about the Costa Rican stem cell procedure...

I read through that thread and as I did I could not help thinking that it is possible that repairing the venous system, assuming the venous model, then getting stem cells will result in a better long term healing.

And Marc I am with you on the Israeli work, it seems to be the right stuff to me as well.

ALso there is a company in Canada making off the shelf MSC's
http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-6467.html