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Mesenchymal Stem Cells - National MS society Interview with Dr. Cohen

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    Mesenchymal Stem Cells - National MS society Interview with Dr. Cohen

    From MSconnection

    Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An interview with Dr. Jeffrey Cohen
    By The National MS Society Aug 25, 2014

    Could you explain the stem cell procedure that you’re testing?

    There are currently eleven medications approved to treat multiple sclerosis and several more around the corner. The available medications are all useful in relapsing MS – an inflammatory phase in the disease – but there is a big need to find treatments for progressive MS. We think this will require different strategies, such as neuroprotective treatment strategies or repair-promoting strategies, which has led to a lot of interest in cell-based therapies.

    There are many types of stem cells. The type we are testing are called mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are present in many tissues of the body, and have been studied fairly extensively, which is why we chose to focus our research in this area. In our study, the stem cells were extracted from the patients’ bone marrow, then the cells were grown in the lab to purify them and increase their numbers. They were then frozen and at the time of treatment they were thawed and injected intravenously back into the patients.

    Was there a specific reason you chose to look at mesenchymal stem cells?

    There has been a lot of research on mesenchymal stem cells in a variety of animal models, a variety of laboratory studies, and also in other conditions, which provides valuable background information. They also have several properties that make them of interest for treating MS. First, they appear to have neuroprotective or tissue-protective properties. They also appear to encourage intrinsic (or natural) repair mechanisms within the tissue. They have some immune-modulating properties – even though that wasn’t our prime motivation, it was an added benefit. Finally, they appear to be able to migrate from the blood into tissues that are inflamed or damaged, which allows for a much more convenient way of administering the cells. We don’t have to inject them directly into the nervous system – we believe that we can introduce them intravenously or via a spinal tap and they will find their own way to the areas of damage.

    Follow this link to read more of the interview about this phase I trial:
    http://www.msconnection.org/Blog/Aug...with-Dr-Jeffre

    ***Moderator's note - url was provided for the convenience of space.***
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