Is There a New Therapy Option for MS?

Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be devastating. MS is a neurodegenerative disease that can be disabling, causing a loss of mobility and independence.

Some people experience only mild symptoms, and long periods of remission are not unusual. There is currently no cure for MS, but treatments help people recover from attacks more quickly and can slow the course of progression. Traditional treatments for MS include oral medications, corticosteroids, and plasma exchange.

Disease-Modifying Therapies

Disease-modifying therapies (DMT) aim to slow the progression of a disease. They are the main group of treatments used to help MS patients. More than a dozen disease-modifying medications have been approved by the FDA to treat multiple sclerosis. These include:

Ocrelizumab (the only medication approved to treat all types of MS)
Fingolimod (the first DMT approved for pediatric MA)
Cladribine
Siponimod (reduced relapse rate by half in testing)
Diroximel fumarate
Ozanimod
Ponesimod

As new disease-modifying therapies are approved, outdated therapies are removed from the marketplace. In 2018, daclizumab was withdrawn and is no longer available for the treatment of MS.

Experimental Therapies

Experimental therapies may not yet be available to the public, or they may be available only to a small portion of people who have been approved for clinical trials. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly developing new medications for multiple sclerosis.

A new drug called ibudilast has shown promise for slowing the progression of disability in MS patients. An oral antihistamine known as clemastine fumarate may help restore the protective coating that surrounds nerves. This medication is currently available, but not in the dosage needed to improve the health of people with MS.

Regenerative Medicine

Most MS therapies focus on preventing abnormal responses from the immune system. Regenerative Medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, is a breakthrough alternative option for managing multiple sclerosis. Mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to regenerate and replace damaged cells, including those that make up myelin sheath tissue.

Studies have shown that stem cell therapy may improve the following symptoms of MS:

Muscle pain
Muscle spasms
Coordination difficulties
Tingling sensations
Poor bladder function
Headaches
Poor balance and range of motion

Stem cell therapy is also effective in modulating the immune system and temporarily disabling attacks on healthy cells caused by MS.

Multiple sclerosis affects people differently, and experimental treatments like those offered through regenerative medicine will also provide different effects for different people. However, regenerative medicine is a promising, minimally invasive treatment method that may offer hope to MS patients when other treatments fail.

This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for multiple sclerosis, also known as stem cell for multiple sclerosis. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.