About MS:
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder mainly affecting young adults and is characterized by the destruction of myelin in the central nervous system. The autoimmune attack includes auto-reactive lymphocytes and local inflammatory responses that cause demyelination and oligodendrocyte death followed by accumulating axonal damage and axonal loss. Pathologic findings include multiple, sharply demarcated areas of demyelination throughout the white and grey matter of the central nervous system. Clinical manifestations include visual loss, extra-ocular movement disorders, and paresthesias, loss of sensation, weakness, dysarthria, spasticity, ataxia, and bladder dysfunction. The usual pattern is one of recurrent attacks followed by partial recovery, but acute fulminating and chronic progressive forms also occur.
Causes of MS:
The causes leading to MS are still uncertain, but many experts consider it to be an autoimmune disease. Viral infection is a factor in the invasion, and the individual affectability is decided by genetic factors as well as environmental factors.
Clinical manifestations of MS:
Young adults are more commonly affected by MS, and females are more likely to develop the disease. The clinical manifestations are complicated and dynamic. The symptoms seem to be multiple in their forms so that MS can be misdiagnosis sometimes.
Initial symptoms include local anesthesia and anergia of one or more parts of the extremities; a pricking pain; cold; diminution of vision; bleary-eyed; double vision and so on. Some patients appear to have acute or progressive slight spastic paraplegia and anesthesia. There may be a period of catabasis before recrudescence. When the disease re-occurs, the symptoms can be the same as before or there may be new symptoms. The usual symptoms may include:
1. Paralysis of the body, acratia or a feeling of ponderosity.
2. Sensory disturbance
3. Dysequilibrium
4. Vision defects, double vision.
5. Progressive atony
6. Acute myelitis
7. Pain
8. Sense of girdle
9. Coldness in local parts of the body.
10. Dysarthria
11. Lhermitte's sign
12. Paroxysmal pruritus
Stem cell treatment:
We have developed a comprehensive program for MS patients combining both nerve stem cell activation and stimulation treatment, and stem cells injections.
The treatment includes immunotherapy to improve and adjust the functions of the patient's immune system, and stem cell implantation, a "cocktail" of medications and neural nutrition materials are given through IV, biofeedback treatment and comprehensive rehabilitation.
By employing all of the above methods we can maximally regulate the states of the immune system, improve symptoms such as eyesight problems, muscular weakness, sensory disturbance and paralysis of the body. The curative effect depends on the patient's medical condition. In general, younger MS patients have shown greater benefits from the stem cells treatment as the disease was not very far advanced. Some patients had their MRI scans change to normal after half a year. But this does not mean that we can cure the disease completely. Current treatment has only been proven to slow the progression of this active disease.
Autogenous Stem Cells Activation and Proliferation:
Using a non-invasive procedure, through daily IV of individually customized cocktail of neurotrophic medications, we activate the patient's own stem cells and as a result, turn these cells into nerve precursor cells. These cells have signalization and migrate to lesions along the nerve developing-chord.
Stem Cells Injections:
1. Before the injection of the stem cells, we will use immunosuppressors to stop the cause of MS.
As an autoimmune disease, the main treatment aim is to restrain the process of inflammatory demyelination. So the treatment procedure will include an anti-immune treatment. The doctor will use some corticosteroid medications such as methylpredisolone, dexamethasone and prednisone, etc. to adjust the functions of the patient's immune system. And the interferon is used to enforce the inhibiting function of their immune cells. But the treatment plan (like the dosage of these medications) is very important. The stem cells treatment will not interfere with the interferon.
With the cooperation of immunoloregulation, interferon treatment and stem cells treatment, the patients can achieve the greatest results and improvement.
2. Collection and injection of autogenous stem cells
First doctors will collect potential stem cells from the bone marrow; secondly they will culture and proliferate them into Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC), in cooperation with Beijing University. Usually this procedure requires 3-4 weeks to get enough of the MSC (4,000,000). Then the doctor will implant the Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) through the CSF (spinal cord fluid) by a lumbar puncture. Each injection has 5,000,000 stem cells. This procedure is short and simple, and it usually is done with local anesthesia. Yet, in order to prevent any risk of infection and keep a strictly sterile environment, the procedure is done in the operating room by the experienced neurology doctor only.
The big advantage of this treatment is, there is no immune side effects since those stem cells are from the patient's own body, therefore, there is no need to use any immunosuppressant to restrain the immune rejection of these stem cells.
During the time period of culturing the cells, we will proceed with the self stem cell activation program, as well as with Chinese traditional medicine and a Comprehensive Rehabilitation to the patients. The injection itself will be quite safe to be undertaken.
3. Neural stem cells injection
When the patient suffers from some inherited disease (meaning from a genetic defect) or the patient is elderly, their self stem cells will be unfit for the stem cells treatment. So under that condition, our doctor will advised neural stem cells treatment.
Neural stem cells are multi-potent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including neurons and neural ganglia cells. Neural stem cells can be acquired conveniently. All of the neural stem cells come from Peking University's Stem Cells Research Center which is the largest and most qualified stem cell lab in China, where the cells have undergone rigorous testing according to our highly strict regulations. So the advantages are: Firstly, they are convenient and timesaving because they do not have to be cultured for a long time. Secondly, the neural stem cells are safe to use in clinic therapy. In addition, these stem cells have good biological activity and they have little chance of bringing an immune response (immunological rejection) to the patients themselves.
The method of the stem cells injection is the same as with the autogenous stem cells injection which we had mentioned in the previous passage.
The side effects of stem cells treatment:
The procedure can cause minor side effects for 2 to 3 days after the stem cells injection, including fever, sleepiness, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. These side effects are expected and should not alarm or concern you. Some patients do not suffer any side effects at all.
Rehabilitation:
Rehabilitation therapy is a very necessary part of the entire treatment regimen. The stem cell mobilization technique we use is combined with signal induction in the rehabilitation training procedure which can significantly improve the patient's neural function.
In our Rehabilitation Center we use different kinds of rehabilitation methods including: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Treatment period:
The recommended period of treatment is about 5-6 weeks.
Types of stem cells:
Autogenous stem cell / neural stem cell
Before the stem cell treatment begins, the experienced doctor will give the patient a detailed examination and evaluate their nervous system and immune system. They will make an appropriate stem cell treatment plan according to the patient's medical condition.
In general our doctors will advise autogenous stem cells treatment because there will be no immune side effects since those stem cells are from the patient's own body; but if the patient is too old, the doctor will introduce neural stem cells for them because these stem cells have good biological activity and have good differentiation ability.
Contraindication:
Pituitary tumors and Adrenocortical Hyperplasia are pointed specially by our doctors.
Medical plan procedure:
1. To end the cause of the disease, we adjust and improve the patient's immunologic function.
2. Use certain medications to improve the internal microenvironment so that it is suitable for the subsistence of stem cells
3. The implantation of stem cells. Subarachnoid cavity injection
4. Signal inductive treatment to contribute to the stem cells planting in a particular location. This is according to the theory of immunology and endocrinology.
5. Prompt stem cells differentiation to help the neural precursor cells differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes and neurogliocytes.
6. Form a remolding of the neural network (medication treatment with assistance from effective rehabilitation).
Written by Dr. Xiaojuan Wang and Dr. Like Wu
