Swedish Study Suggests Stem Cell Transplants as Possible Treatment for Aggressive RRMS

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are superior to currently approved disease-modifying drugs, according to a Swedish study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

In addition, says the review, the procedure’s safety profile has improved in the last decade, and is now just as good as approved medications.

This data supports the idea that bone marrow stem cell transplants could be recommended for RRMS patients who don’t respond to treatment with disease-modifying drugs if the procedure is performed at experienced centers, argued researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University.

Yet they said the benefits of stem cell transplants for patients with progressive disease is moderate at best — meaning any attempts to treat these patients with a stem cell transplant should be limited to clinical trials.

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