Up and coming new MS superior drug!!! Knock on wood......

Immune Boosting Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis May Be the 'Holy Grail'

Researchers claim a new therapy that protects myelin is a big breakthrough for multiple sclerosis, but patients shouldn't expect a new treatment option any time soon.

Immune Boosting Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis May Be the 'Holy Grail'

By Jeffrey Kopman, Everyday Health Staff Writer

WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2013 — A groundbreaking multiple sclerosis treatment has passed a major test in its journey towards helping the two million plus living with the autoimmune disease, according to a study from Northwestern Medicine Research.
A phase 1 trial tested the new therapy which manipulates the white blood cells of MS patients and resets their immune systems. The first test on humans successfully reduced the immune systems’ reactivity to myelin – an insulating layer that protects the spinal cord, brain, and optic nerve – from 50 to 75 percent.
The destruction of myelin, a reaction caused by MS, disrupts communication from the brain to the rest of the body, and causes symptoms like mild limb numbness, paralysis, and blindness.
Similar therapies have proved to be effective for treating MS, but have also come with severe side effects because they weaken the immune system even more. While MS progression might be stopped, a weakened immune system can lead to infections and higher rates of cancer.

"Very few investigators are trying therapies in humans aimed at simply turning off unwanted immune responses and leaving the rest of the immune system intact to fight infections — to do surveillance against cancer," Dr. Lawrence Steinman, a professor of neurology at Stanford University, told HealthDay. "The early results show encouragement."
Researchers agreed that these findings, while preliminary, could have a large impact.
"The therapy stops autoimmune responses that are already activated and prevents the activation of new autoimmune cells," said Stephen Miller, the Judy Gugenheim Research Professor of Microbiology-Immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a press release. "Our approach leaves the function of the normal immune system intact. That's the holy grail."

The Reliability of Phase 1 Trials for MS

The trial is a promising sign for the future of MS treatment, but it did have a few limitations. The Northwestern University study only included nine participants. Small samples are typically associated with phase 1 trials, but can still cause problems for the reliability of the results.
Researchers determined that the sample was not large enough to reach statistical significance for preventing the progression of MS. However, the trial did show that higher doses of white blood cells prevented some of the destruction of myelin, and there were no serious side effects reported.
For now, multiple sclerosis patients have some reason for optimism.
“The study was small – but important factors were observed,” said Trevis Gleason, an Everyday Health Leader. “The research is deserving of our attention as researchers now raise funds and recruit for Phase II trials.”
A phase 2 trial will explore how effective the therapy is in newly diagnosed patients, and will expand the sample size for further evaluation.