Anybody with a family member or friend stricken with multiple sclerosis, understands the prolonged devastation synonymous with the degenerative condition.

An influx of fundraisers, research, and awareness initiatives haven’t prevented an MS diagnosis from leading to a loss of independence, a curtail into depression, and rapidly worsening symptoms.

WHAT IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves. Myelin is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibres. Heavy damage causes scare tissue to replace the myelin, disrupting the nerve impulses and breaking down the nerve fibres themselves.

Symptoms include extreme fatigue, lack of coordination, weakness, impaired sensation, vision problems, cognitive impairment, and mood changes. MS patient’s nervous systems deteriorate until they are confined to wheelchairs, and their lives end tragically premature.

While there’s no cure for multiple sclerosis, there may be an effective way to manage MS symptoms thanks to stem cell research.

A STEP-BY-STEP BREAKDOWN OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION

A treatment similar to bone marrow transplants used for leukemia   known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), is being used to neutralize the symptoms of multiple sclerosis:

  1. Patient is given low-dose chemotherapy drugs and medication to stimulate their bone marrow into secreting stem cells into the blood
  2. Six ounces of blood is taken and processed in a lab machine extracting stem cells
  3. Stem cells are frozen and stored
  4. Patient is given more powerful chemotherapy to kill off existing bone marrow
  5. Patient then kept in isolation due to weakened immune systems
  6. Stem cells are defrosted and reintroduced via blood transfusion
  7. The cells re-enter circulation into the bone marrow, reproducing new, healthy tissue
  8. Patient remains in isolation for two to three weeks as their bone marrow creates immune system cells

NOT MAKING PROMISES THAT CAN’T BE KEPT

The doctors heading this treatment are making no bones about the fact that this is not a cure for MS.

In fact, if you’re wheelchair-bound, HSCT will not help you walk again. However, it will prevent symptoms from worsening, meaning the treatment is best suited for patients in the early -stages of MS.

PROMISING RESULTS

Researchers from Imperial College London published results from HSCT trials from 25 centers, and out of 281 people, nearly half benefited for as long as five years.

An individual case study detailed a pilot and former marathon runner who was diagnosed with MS in 2009, with rapidly deteriorating conditions. She could barely walk more than a few yards because of the pain in her legs and hips. After the treatments, she was able to return to work. While she won’t be able to run marathons again, she regained her independence.

Stem cell therapies aren’t a magical cure. But, they use your body’s own recuperative powers to aid in the healing process of chronic pain!

RegenerVate offers stem cell treatments and PRP injections to treat the symptoms of chronic conditions such as tendonitis, osteoarthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Call us today at 1-855-712-9901 to schedule an appointment, or drop by one of our RegenerVate locations!