A few hours ago an article of absolute relevance was published in Nature Medicine (Neural stem cell transplantation in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis: an open-label, phase 1 study | Nature Medicine) which opens up the treatment of multiple sclerosis with an innovative cell therapy approach. The study opens to the clinical treatment of a disabling disease, multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory demyelinating disease, the causes of which are still poorly understood to date.
The research group led by Professor Gianvito Martino, Scientific Director of San Raffaele in Milan (Italy), describes an approach that involves the transplantation of NCS cells or neuronal precursors, both in the animal model and in a small cohort of patients.
The administration of cell therapy, through a lumbar puncture that directly reaches the cerebrospinal fluid, has shown a neuroprotective and remyelinating effect without however showing significant adverse effects.
This is the first neuronal stem cell transplant in the world capable of showing a CSF pro-regenerative effect mediated by the release of immunomodulatory substances.