Question explored with the scientific record
Conversation so far
- 1 Stem Cell procedure using your own stem cells to help heal nerves and myelin sheath from damage of MS Where is this procedure done in Australia
- 2 Which Australian centers are running registered aHSCT MS trials?
- 3 Stem Cell trials for MS in Melbourne and Sydney At what stage is the clinical trial
Answered on this page ↓
Stem Cell trials for MS in Melbourne and Sydney At what stage is the clinical trial
The short version: I cannot tell you what stage any Melbourne or Sydney stem cell trial for MS is at. No record here names a trial site, a phase, or a recruitment status in either city.
The records are about the procedure, not the trials. They describe autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT, using the patient's own blood stem cells after wiping out the immune system) and its outcomes [1][3]. One expert review notes the field still needs phase III trials and careful safety monitoring [1]. A Canadian health technology review advises systems to prepare for aHSCT uptake in highly active MS, contingent on emerging randomized evidence [2]. That is the state of the evidence, not the state of any Australian trial.
What the procedure does, from the pooled data: about 68 in 100 patients free of disease activity at five years, about 23 in 100 with disability progression, and treatment-related death falling from about 5 in 100 overall to under 1 in 100 for regimens used after 2005 [3]. A small comparison found aHSCT held disease control in 62 in 100 versus 40 in 100 for alemtuzumab, though disability progression was similar [4]. That is real benefit in highly active MS, and the evidence is largely observational.
| Outcome | aHSCT figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Disease-activity-free at 5 years | 68% | [3] |
| Disability progression at 5 years | 23.3% | [3] |
| Treatment-related death, all regimens | 5.3% | [3] |
| Treatment-related death, post-2005 regimens | 0.3% | [3] |
For the actual stage question, the trial registry is the only reliable source: search the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry for aHSCT in MS and check each site's phase and recruitment status. A clinic selling "stem cell nerve repair" without a trial number is not the same product.
My call: I cannot name a trial stage in Melbourne or Sydney from this evidence; check the registry directly. Confidence: low on Australian trial status.
Sources used 4
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Progress and prospects for the use and the understanding of the mode of action of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of multiple sclerosis
An expert commentary reviewing the progress, mechanisms, regimens, and clinical implications of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) for multiple sclerosis, highlighting potential suppression of CNS inflammation and possible disability reversal alongside th…
DOI: 10.1080/1744666X.2017.1297232 -
Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
HTERP advises Canadian health systems to prepare for AHSCT uptake in highly active MS through closer-to-home follow-up, interprovincial supports, transparent protocols, capacity, collaboration, and equity, contingent on emerging RCT evidence.
DOI: 10.51731/cjht.2022.399 -
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for MS
This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) for multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting it may be safer and as effective as current disease-modifying drugs.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003995 -
aHSCT is superior to alemtuzumab in maintaining NEDA and improving cognition in multiple sclerosis
In a single-center registry cohort, aHSCT was associated with higher NEDA maintenance and more EDSS and cognitive improvement than alemtuzumab in highly active MS.
DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51366