Stem Cell-Based Cure for MS Found?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. It causes a loss of myelin, the insulating material that surrounds neurons and is essential for carrying electrical impulses to the brain. Over 2.3 million people worldwide suffer from MS. Currently, there is no cure nor a therapy that has proven to be effective in the long run.

In a recent study, scientists from Utah and California altered the central nervous system of mice, so they would develop a MS-like condition. Later, human neuron precursor cells that had been derived from human embryonic stem cells were injected into the spinal cords of the mice. After only two weeks, the mice had started quite drastic clinical recovery and were able to walk again, which the disease had prevented them from doing before. Furthermore, the mice recovered 73 % of their motor skills and this improvement could be sustained for six months. An examination of some of the mice's spinal cords showed that inflammation and demyelination caused by the MS-like condition had decreased significantly.

While the injected stem cells were actually rejected by the mice's bodies they still caused the desired effects. This led the scientists to the conclusion that the alleviation was likely triggered by certain chemical signals induced by the injected cells. Now the scientists are hoping to isolate these chemical signals and to put them in a drug in order to make administering the therapy easier.

Sources:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/mice-with-ms-like-condition-walk-again-after-stem-cell-treatment
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/stem-cell-therapy-allows-mice-ms-condition-walk-again
http://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/abstract/S2213-6711(14)00112-X?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS221367111400112X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS221367111400112X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue