Journal
NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 37, Issue 6, Pages 857-865Publisher
SPRINGER-VERLAG ITALIA SRL
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-016-2564-3
Keywords
Multiple sclerosis; Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Categories
Funding
- Bayer Schering
- Biogen Idec
- Sanofi Aventis
- Teva
- Genzyme
- Merck Serono Pharmaceuticals
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Intense immunosuppression followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has been widely used in the last 20 years for the treatment of aggressive forms of autoimmune disorders, especially multiple sclerosis (MS). All clinical studies, although small and uncontrolled, demonstrate a great efficacy of this procedure in halting inflammation and disease activity, even in those patients affected by malignant forms of MS. The long-term follow-up has also revealed the possible maintenance of positive results in the course of time, and this evidence is supported by immunological data that suggest the possibility of a resetting of the immune system after AHSCT. The safety of AHSCT has improved in the last years, but the transplant related mortality is still nowadays of about 1-2 %, pointing out that a careful selection of patients to submit to AHSCT is mandatory. The long clinical experience allowed to identify the ideal candidate: a young patient, with a short disease duration, with recurring and disabling relapses and the presence of inflammatory activity on brain magnetic resonance scans, unresponsive to approved therapies. A large, randomized clinical study comparing AHSCT with the best approved therapies is still necessary to confirm the role of transplantation in MS treatment.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available