CBC News

A $2.4-million grant was awarded to two Ottawa researchers for their work in fighting the chronic and often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord that is multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Harry Atkins and Dr. Mark Freedman will continue a closely watched clinical trial involving an experimental bone marrow stem cell transplant therapy. Their team was awarded the money by The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

Improvements in the ability to walk and see have been among the most dramatic observations of their MS research along with data on MS symptoms slowing down.

“The idea behind this clinical trial is to replace the diseased immune system with a new one derived from the patient’s own bone marrow stem cells,” said Atkins, a scientist at the Ottawa Health Research Institute, and a bone marrow transplant specialist at the Ottawa Hospital.

“First, we purify and freeze the patient’s stem cells, then we use strong chemotherapy to destroy their existing immune system,” he said. “We then transplant the purified stem cells back into the patient.”

“It takes time, but eventually these stem cells will form a completely new immune system — one that does not attack the brain and spinal cord — we hope.”

Researchers say that applying the procedure to treat autoimmune diseases such as MS is novel, but a similar procedure has been used to treat certain types of blood cancer for more than 25 years.

“We hoped that this therapy would halt or slow the progression of MS, and in the patients examined so far, it seems to have worked,” Freedman said. “In addition, some patients have experienced substantial improvements in their ability to see and walk.”

“This was unexpected, and it suggests the exciting possibility that the therapy may be contributing to some sort of repair or regeneration. With this funding, we can investigate this further.”

The knowledge gained could lead to significant improvements in the treatment of MS and other autoimmune diseases, even though the therapy is highly experimental researchers said.

Making it the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada, between 55,000 and 75,000 Canadians have multiple sclerosis. People are typically diagnosed with MS between the ages of 15-40.

Stiffness of muscles, extreme fatigue, speech problems, loss of balance, double or blurred vision, bladder and bowel problems, or even partial or complete paralysis can be among the unpredictable and varying symptoms that a person with MS can experience.

A $2.4-million grant was awarded to two Ottawa researchers for their work in fighting the chronic and often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord that is multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Harry Atkins and Dr. Mark Freedman will continue a closely watched clinical trial involving an experimental bone marrow stem cell transplant therapy. Their team was awarded the money by The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

Improvements in the ability to walk and see have been among the most dramatic observations of their MS research along with data on MS symptoms slowing down.

“The idea behind this clinical trial is to replace the diseased immune system with a new one derived from the patient

Mike will leave for China two weeks from today. He’s not much of a gambling man, but he decided to take one this time. With the hope that his multiple sclerosis will be brought under control, he will undergo adult stem cell treatment overseas.

Riley’s doctors only gave him negative opinions about the treatment abroad. But Riley was smarter than his doctors. He knew that he could become paralyzed in a few years due to his aggressive form of MS, and that he had run out of options in the United States. He couldn

Therapeutics Daily

The redistribution of a patient’s own adult bone marrow cells as a method of stem cell treatment may lessen the suffering of their multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Professor Neil Scolding of the Institute of Neurosciences at Bristol University’s Frenchay Hospital is researching the use of adult bone marrow stem cells as a therapy treatment for MS.

This type of cell is already used to treat other common conditions such as cardiac disease. They can replace damaged cells by reforming and regenerating.

The scope of stem cell treatment is expanding everyday says Scolding. The Multiple Sclerosis Ireland organization will be hosting him this weekend at their annual conference.

“In the last three or four years we’ve found that stem cells have a number of properties that make them particularly valuable for [ treating] multiple sclerosis. We used to think of stem cells as an opportunity to replace another cell, but it turns out that there can actually be many more things: we can stimulate a local cell or suppress inflammation in its immediate surroundings, which is very valuable in MS,” he says.

The procedure would involve removing bone marrow from the patient and injecting back into the bloodstream making it rather straightforward. The cells would travel almost instinctively to those areas of the body that need attention says Scolding.

“When the cells are injected, they know where to go and from there we hope they will help the tissue to repair,” he says.

Well documented work with other stem cell therapies gives his current research a boost says Scolding. Proof backing up the scientific grounding of treatments in regards to stem cells used in procedures is cited in papers documenting years of successful bone marrow transplant recipients.

“One of the advantages of using bone marrow stem cells is that people for very different reasons have had bone marrow transplants, and they also got those cells,” he says.

“And that means we’ve got 30-40 years’ worth of clinical experience to prove that they are safe and don’t form tumors. They come from the patient and go back to the patient.”

However, as they continue to draw more controversy, embryonic stem cells are falling further behind in terms of research. Many people consider embryos an unethical source of stem cells because it involves the destruction of human embryos.

In contrast to their adult stem cell counterparts, embryonic stem cells are not as reliable says Scolding.

“Quite apart from the ethical questions, there are also very serious biological reasons why embryonic stem cells at the moment are not safe enough to use in therapy,” he says.

“They can form tumors and there is a question of rejection because you are introducing the stem cell into a different patient.”

Scolding says that the answer to the fight against a wide range of health issues can be found in adult stem cells. Before embryonic stem cells can be used as a treatment of any sort, they will need to prove themselves. The process could take at least 10-15 years, if ever added Scolding.

“People are thinking very seriously about using stem cells to treat Parkinson’s disease and diabetes,” he says.

“With MS, we’re not at the stage where we have a lot of results yet, but it’s the beginning of what we hope will be a long journey.”

The redistribution of a patient’s own adult bone marrow cells as a method of stem cell treatment may lessen the suffering of their multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Professor Neil Scolding of the Institute of Neurosciences at Bristol University’s Frenchay Hospital is researching the use of adult bone marrow stem cells as a therapy treatment for MS.

This type of cell is already used to treat other common conditions such as cardiac disease. They can replace damaged cells by reforming and regenerating.

The scope of stem cell treatment is expanding everyday says Scolding. The Multiple Sclerosis Ireland organization will be hosting him this weekend at their annual conference.

“In the last three or four years we’ve found that stem cells have a number of properties that make them particularly valuable for [ treating] multiple sclerosis. We used to think of stem cells as an opportunity to replace another cell, but it turns out that there can actually be many more things: we can stimulate a local cell or suppress inflammation in its immediate surroundings, which is very valuable in MS,” he says.

The procedure would involve removing bone marrow from the patient and injecting back into the bloodstream making it rather straightforward. The cells would travel almost instinctively to those areas of the body that need attention says Scolding.

“When the cells are injected, they know where to go and from there we hope they will help the tissue to repair,” he says.

Well documented work with other stem cell therapies gives his current research a boost says Scolding. Proof backing up the scientific grounding of treatments in regards to stem cells used in procedures is cited in papers documenting years of successful bone marrow transplant recipients.

“One of the advantages of using bone marrow stem cells is that people for very different reasons have had bone marrow transplants, and they also got those cells,” he says.

“And that means we’ve got 30-40 years’ worth of clinical experience to prove that they are safe and don’t form tumors. They come from the patient and go back to the patient.”

However, as they continue to draw more controversy, embryonic stem cells are falling further behind in terms of research. Many people consider embryos an unethical source of stem cells because it involves the destruction of human embryos.

In contrast to their adult stem cell counterparts, embryonic stem cells are not as reliable says Scolding.

“Quite apart from the ethical questions, there are also very serious biological reasons why embryonic stem cells at the moment are not safe enough to use in therapy,” he says.

“They can form tumors and there is a question of rejection because you are introducing the stem cell into a different patient.”

Scolding says that the answer to the fight against a wide range of health issues can be found in adult stem cells. Before embryonic stem cells can be used as a treatment of any sort, they will need to prove themselves. The process could take at least 10-15 years, if ever added Scolding.

“People are thinking very seriously about using stem cells to treat Parkinson’s disease and diabetes,” he says.

“With MS, we’re not at the stage where we have a lot of results yet, but it’s the beginning of what we hope will be a long journey.”

Great-grandmother Julia has just had her best six months in 33 years even though she suffers from multiple sclerosis.

After going to have revolutionary stem cell treatment in Holland, Julia, 64, is experiencing an extraordinary turnaround from her degenerative illness. Since the therapy is banned in Britain, traveling was unavoidable.

Julia had been afflicted with multiple sclerosis for 33 years, and in July, the York Press reported on her already improving state since being treated in May.

To find out whether the stem cells in her body were still causing her condition to improve, the Press caught up with her for Christmas.

“I’ve had the best six months I’ve had in 33 years,” said Julia, of Bishophill, York. “My spine is stronger. I can move my body better.”

She was already experiencing welcome relief from the painful nerve endings – once so sore they kept her in bed for three months – when the Press reported on her condition just two months after treatment.

A feat she could only manage beforehand by supporting it with her other hand, she was once again able to put on her own make-up because she could lift up her left arm.

The ability to enjoy a hot cup of coffee is another life improvement Julia can enjoy again, in fact, she is enjoying it today.

Since disease meant her body could not cope with the heat, she would have to wait until hot drinks became cold.

Remarkably, her brunette hair has also started to grow back, where before it was grey.

Julia remains hopeful the stem cell treatment might improve her condition so much she could even walk again. She lost the use of her legs seven years ago.

“I’m still hopeful,” she said. “It’s probably wishful thinking, but I’m hopeful of it.”

When she was just 31, Julia was diagnosed with MS in 1973. She was ultimately restricted to a wheelchair as her condition progressively got worse.

In May, she decided to have stem cells injected into the navel, scalp, and spine. Her treatment was conducted using stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, a treatment which is not available in Britain.