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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 9, 2012 11:46 AM IST
Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have conducted an autologous stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis which could be the first recorded case in the country. In an autologous stem cell transplant the donor and recipient is the same person. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. The body's own immune system attacks the myelin sheath (nerve coating) and slowly destroy the central nervous system. There could be numbness and weakness in the limbs to sudden loss of balance and coordination. The patient may experience blurred vision and paralysis. It causes disability in the most advanced stage.
According to the doctors, the spread of MS appears to have been contained six months after the transplant. But the doctors warn that the therapy cannot be declared a success until the patient is observed for at least a year. International trials have demonstrated that this transplant can restrict the spread of the disease in advanced patients, and may even reverse symptoms in early stages in some patients. The patient was diagnosed with the neurological disorder in 2010. All possible conventional treatment options were tried with no success. Doctors at AIIMS finally decided on stem cell therapy in March this year.
'The primary purpose of autologous stem cell transplant is to control the spread of lesions. We extract the patient's own stem cells, treat and inject the stem cells back. Ever since the procedure, the patient has been completely stable. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of stem cell therapy for MS,' said Dr Kameshwar Prasad, Professor of neurology.
There is no known permanent cure. The symptoms can be controlled with injectable disease modifying drug, interferons which are available in India.
Body immunity generating stem cells were first extracted from the patient. His faulty immune response system was weakened through a high-dose chemotherapy regimen that destroys new blood cells forming bone marrow and existing blood cells. Later, his own stem cells were injected back into his body which created a new immune response system by forming the bone marrow and all cells in the blood. The doctors believe that the new immune response system will not have the faulty autoimmune tendency.
'Earlier, there was so much slurring in his speech that when I would be on the phone with him, I couldn't make out what he was saying. Now, after clinical evaluation, we find his speech is clearer,' noted Dr Prasad.
'A lot remains to be seen and observed. This is the first Indian MS patient, who has had the stem cell transplant, so we need to see how he holds out in the long-term,' he cautioned.
'I tried everything. Not only interferon injections, considered standard therapy for MS, but everything that anyone recommended, be it ayurveda, unani or homeopathy. I changed my diet, stayed in a cool environment. No matter what I did, each time I had a scan, doctors said the disease was worsening,' the patient told The Indian Express. 'I had tried everything. This (stem cell therapy) was the last option. I tried some private set-ups, but was not sure about their competence. At AIIMS, doctors were a little wary, given the risks associated with the long chemotherapy procedure, of contracting an infection after that,' he said. 'I feel a noticeable change in my speech. I used to slur a lot. But I can speak much clearer now. More importantly, the MS has not spread since March,' he added.
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