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konschuberttoday at 2:48 PM3 repliesview on HN

Today, there is also AHSCT.

There are already clinics where they basically remove your immune system and give you a new one. If you don’t die in the process, you are likely to be cured of MS.

(Any existing damage will remain.)

Currently this is reserved for the most quickly progressing cases but if we can make this safer and cheaper, it might in future be applied as an early stage cure, so people can go on to live healthy lives.

That being said, Astra Zenecas approach does seem much safer, if it’s proven to be effective!


Replies

SmellTheGlovetoday at 3:24 PM

Yeah AHSCT is no joke. I mentioned in another comment my wife has MS - diagnosed last year in her mid 40s with thankfully no severe impairment. They discussed AHSCT with us but didn’t recommend it unless another disease modifying treatment didn’t work. Thankfully, Tysabri seems to be working well for her.

My mom passed from leukemia years ago. Or rather, from an infection as she was starting HSCT. I’m sure it’s safer than it was 30 years ago, but being without an immune system for a period of time really is still a last resort.

JoshTripletttoday at 3:20 PM

> There are already clinics where they basically remove your immune system and give you a new one. If you don’t die in the process

Of side effects of the process, or of opportunistic diseases during the transition?

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johnisgoodtoday at 4:30 PM

I would not mind remyelination + being on a DMT, heh.