Doctors say stem cell transplant could be a "game changer" for patients with MS | Hacker News Reader

Doctors say stem cell transplant could be a "game changer" for patients with MS

bbc.com

55 pointsmleonhard15 comments

This is irresponsible reporting by BBC. The study described here has not been published in a journal, only presented at a regional meeting. The lead author has been involved in a number of controversial situations in the past, from having claimed to cure (i.e., achieve insulin independence) type I diabetes using stem cells in 2007, to charging patients ~$150,000 to participate in one of his clinical trials. It may be that his current effort against MS is bearing fruit, but for the BBC to call it a game changer for millions at this stage is just irresponsible.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18040485/ns/health-diabetes/t/stem...

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6350/441.full

It is a gamechanger. I have done it. Have a look at http://www.hsctmexico.com/ This is where I went.

At 6 weeks after a Mesenchymal stem cell injection for osteoarthritis in one hip joint — results nothing short of miraculous.

Reportedly positive results for many other “soft tissue” issues, including some brain issues such as Parkinson’s.

I predict stem cell treatments will obsolete many “gold standard” treatments for various soft tissue and brain injuries...

You received the injection? Can you share some more details, I'm very curious.

3 years of increasing pain in hip, and inability to move, bend. Diagnosis after x-ray.

5 minute treatment.

Almost complete recovery after 6 weeks, still improving.

I can give you contact info for someone to talk to, if you have more questions.

PS: I’m Canadian, so standard course would be pain management, followed by years-long wait for surgery. Instead, I’m jogging around with my 3-year old girl!

My wife had HSCT treatment for MS a year ago. She was deteriorating fast. Since the treatment the progression has stopped and some symptoms have gone away.

HSCT is real and it works. It stops disease progression. Usually there is lasting damage which means that even when the disease is stopped there is remaining disability. This is why the word Cure is contentious as many symptoms persist. But my wife can live with a certain level of disability. The most important thing is that her decline has stopped. Now she has a future.

Account created just as post is made... not exactly something to trust...

Well, my husband told me he made this post. I am the wife. I did HSCT so yeah you can trust what he says. My progression has stopped.

I don’t know much about MS other that it’s bad. Care to share more details of your story? Many thanks on advance

I got a blurry eye at the end of 2012. My GP sent me up the hospital straight away because sudden onset glaucoma is very bad. Turns out it was optic neuritis. The hospital did loads of tests including a lumbar puncture and MRI. The MRI showed lesions on my brain and spine, combined with ocular bands on the lumbar puncture and the other tests results it was MS.

The first couple of years it was like nothing was wrong with me. Then the last year my balance went a bit and when I was writing my right hand jumped.

We had researched about MS and if there was anything out there that could fix it... Reading about the various drugs and there side effects and long term uselessness didn't fill me with joy.

We read about HSCT, met with a doctor that has been doing it on MS patients for 20+ years with good results, he couldn't do it for me because I hadn't tried and failed 2 DMD's.

We did more research and Mexico and Russia (look up Dr Fedorenko, bit about him here http://50shadesofsun.com/hsct-can-cure-ms-says-moscows-dr-fe...) don't care about DMD's, the critera is you have to have MS.

We applied to a lot of clinics all over Europe, and Mexico and Russia. A few said yes. Mexico (http://www.hsctmexico.com/) could do it sooner so I went there.

It was just over a year ago and it's amazing. Best £50k we've ever spent.

The £30k the news is saying is because that's what it would cost the NHS.

If you google or use facebook just search MS HSCT loads of people are doing it.

A couple of good blogs are https://knockoutmsblog.wordpress.com/ and https://chrisselzershsct.wordpress.com/ They both did it in Mexico after I did, but they write far better than I do and you can get a good idea reading them.

I've been reading hn comments for years but was never compelled to make a comment before. Now I have something to say.

That crosses into personal attack. Please don't do that here!

New accounts should get the benefit of the doubt; imagine what an unwelcoming place this would be if they didn't.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Ties nicely with this story abbot stem-cell-based treatment for macular degeneration: http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2018/018812/stem-cells-treat-macula...

One time when I was in college I saw a guy be approached by someone who was collecting for charity "for MS". He must have been missing a context cue, in addition to being a huge nerd, because he said he didn't support MS -- thinking, probably, that MS meant "Microsoft" and not "multiple sclerosis".

I recall this anecdote now because of the inherent poetry: the essence of this treatment is to treat the immune system like a corrupted Windows installation -- wipe and reinstall from scratch.

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