Experimental treatment could change the lives of patients with multiple sclerosis

(CBS) – An experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis looks promising in curbing the symptoms of the disease, according to a new study that found that a simple stem cell transplant could better stop or delay symptoms than some medications. A little over 75% of patients who took medication over a five-year period saw their condition worsen while less than 10% of those who had a transplant saw their condition worsen. .

According to Dr. Tara Narula of CBS News, this procedure could change the lives of some 2.3 million people affected by chronic disease worldwide. Narula met two women who struggled for years against a recurrent SEP. But current drug treatments are expensive, most require daily medications and have serious side effects. These women decided to volunteer for a small clinical trial to test a risky stem cell procedure that appears to be successful.

Amanda Loy had never imagined fighting the elements of Alaska during her runs instead of fighting her illness. Loy has been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, which comes and goes in sporadic episodes, abruptly interrupting his life.

"My two arms became numb and I was not really able to use them properly," Loy said.

Each month she was given a drug infusion and took half a dozen other medications, but her symptoms only worsened.

"I started having bladder problems and my balance was really bad, requiring a cane more often," she said.

MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks and damages the myelin, the protective envelope surrounding the nerve cells. With this compromised insulation, the nerves deteriorate and can cause a wide range of symptoms, including vision problems, fatigue and weakness. So Loy traveled nearly 3,000 kilometers in Chicago to participate in a trial in hopes of stopping the disease.

"The transplants ended up being significantly superior in all the perimeters we examined," said Dr. Richard Burt, who led the international trial at the Northwestern School of Medicine. "You have to select the right group of patients … There are these very aggressive ones that are very recurrent and inflammatory in which it works extremely well."

Here's how it works: a patient's own stem cells are collected and stored. During a two-week stay at the hospital, high-dose chemotherapy is administered to destroy the immune system. Then the stem cells are reinjected into the patient to "restart" the body's immune system.

Trudee Manderfield was only 23 years old when she received her diagnosis. She was struggling to walk and temporarily became blind with one eye. In 2013, with a toddler, she was ready to try the new treatment. She was frightened but excited about the possibilities.

"I knew I could not continue as before," said Manderfield. "There are a lot of potential side effects, I mean that any procedure will have a side effect of death and, as a new mother, I'm going to" OK, well, that would be bad "but I knew that I had to try. "

The transplant may not be a permanent solution. There are serious risks like infertility, infection and even death. As for Manderfield, she follows her three active children and Amanda Loy plans to return to Chicago, not for treatment, but to run the city marathon in October.