This has been an exciting week in the world of MS and HSCT, as the final analysis of the MIST trial has been published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).
The trial compared the effectiveness of HSCT against a control group of patients who were given conventional Disease Modifying Therapies. The trial included patients treated at 4 centres across the world – Chicago, Uppsala (Sweden), Sheffield and São Paulo (Brazil).
The findings of the trial were that HSCT was more effective in terms of halting disease progression than any DMT.
This visual summarises the findings …
Here is a link to the published report …
As you can imagine, this has caused a huge ripple in the medical world and it is now estimated by some that HSCT as a treatment for MS could be FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved within 2 years.
Here’s CNN’S take on it …
Stem cell therapy for relapsing MS proves effective and safe, study finds
“HSCT proved to be the more effective treatment: Of 55 patients receiving HSCT, only three patients showed disease progression at one year, the study showed. Yet, 34 of 55 patients in the disease-modifying therapy group showed disease progression at one year. Disease progression was measured using the Expanded Disability Status Scale, a method for monitoring changes in symptoms over time.
Among the HSCT group, the proportion of patients with disease progression was (roughly) 2% up to two years, 5% at three years, and 10% at 4 and 5 years. Meanwhile, the proportion of patients with no evidence of disease — defined as no progression, no relapses, and no new or enlarging lesions on MRI scans — was (nearly) 98% at one year, 93% at two years, 90% at three years, and 78% at four and five years.”
I am more determined than ever to get to Russia and have HSCT …it feels good to be part of this MS revolution.
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Since writing my previous post recording my current symptoms, I keep thinking of one’s I’ve left out. I’m going to add them to the list in italics.