Mesenchymal stem cell therapy shows promise for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), with improvements seen in disability, walking ability, vision, and auditory function, according to a recent review of published studies. The approach also seems to be well tolerated by people with MS, but more research is needed on…
Stem cell research
The first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of Autolus Therapeutics‘ experimental CAR T-cell therapy, obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel), in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have failed to respond to existing treatments. Dosing took place at University College London Hospitals NHS…
Liberate Bio’s CAR-M cell therapy almost completely depleted B-cells in nonhuman primates, suggesting the approach may be used to treat B-cell diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and some cancers. The therapy is designed to genetically engineer monocytes and macrophages, two types of immune cells, to target and…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Tr1x the green light to launch a first-in-human clinical trial of TRX319, a cell therapy candidate designed to restore immune balance in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). With FDA clearance now granted for its investigational new…
Kernal Biologics has been awarded up to $48 million in funding to accelerate the development of KR-402, a next-generation CAR T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and certain blood cancers. The funds come from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health’s (ARPA-H) EMBODY program, which aims to support the…
A stem cell transplant may offer better long-term results for people with aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with standard high-efficacy drug treatment, according to new evidence presented at a major European conference this week. Specifically, researchers found that an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) was superior to…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation to Hope Biosciences‘ adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HB-adMSCs) to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). RMAT status is given to therapies with compelling proof that they may substantially improve patient outcomes compared with existing…
A person with multiple sclerosis (MS) has for the first time been treated with an “off-the-shelf” CAR T-cell therapy called azercabtagene zapreleucel (azer-cel), a donor-derived approach that’s never before been tested in the disease. The experimental treatment was given at Nebraska Medicine’s Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center…
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) could slow disease progression in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a study tracking MS patients in Sweden. The procedure was associated with sustained reductions in biomarkers linked to progressive MS. The results also showed that a significant portion of patients…
Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is safe and well tolerated, and leads to improvements in disability and a reduction in lesion burden in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of published studies. MSC treatments also reduced levels of biomarkers associated with nerve damage and inflammation,…
Treatment with neural stem cells, which have the ability to differentiate into neurons and other supportive cells of the nervous system, was safe and significantly boosted myelin repair in spinal cord lesions in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study showed. The stem cells were able to…
Nearly two-thirds of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who underwent a stem cell transplant showed no signs of confirmed disability progression five years later, according to a study tracking MS patients in the U.K. The results were generally better for people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), but nearly half…
A CAR T-cell therapy from Iaso Biotherapeutics was tolerated well and led to marked improvements in disability for three people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to early data from a Phase 1 clinical trial. After a single dose of equecabtagene autoleucel, patients saw rapid and…
For years, the date of June 22 marked the anniversary of an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) that gave me back a kind of life I never thought I’d taste again. The date marked a milestone I clung to like a ribbon at the finish line, a sign I’d…
Body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight, does not seem to affect responses to stem cell transplant in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. While the efficacy of an autologous transplant — one that…
Stem cells from donated placentas appear safe and may help reduce symptoms of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small, open-label Phase 1 clinical trial involving five patients. “Our results suggest possible neuroprotective effects” from these stem cells, researchers wrote in “Cell therapy with placenta-derived mesenchymal…
Kyverna Therapeutics’ CAR T-cell therapy candidate KYV-101 was deemed safe and well tolerated, and showed preliminary signs of efficacy, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in clinical testing. That’s according to data from two investigator-initiated Phase 1 trials, which enrolled individuals with secondary progressive…
Fibrobiologics’ investigational cell therapy CYMS101 can significantly increase myelin production and promote myelin repair in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), the company has announced. The experimental therapy, which is made of connective tissue cells called fibroblasts, demonstrated benefits within seven weeks after both single and multiple infusions…
In a new deal, TG Therapeutics will use MaxCyte’s engineering technology to develop and manufacture its off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy candidate azercabtagene zapreleucel — azer-cel for short — for adults with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The experimental treatment is being advanced toward a Phase 1…
Stem cell transplant can be considered a viable treatment option for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who are young, early in the disease course, do not have other major health issues, and have failed to respond to available medications, according to a new set of recommendations. The procedure…
Cabaletta Bio is getting set to launch a clinical trial testing its cell therapy resecabtagene autoleucel (rese-cel) in people with relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The company sought permission last year from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start the study. Once such…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) — which uses a patient’s own stem cells — face unique physical and emotional challenges at every stage of the process, from balancing hope and fear when deciding on moving forward with the treatment…
Roche signed a definitive agreement to acquire Poseida Therapeutics, a deal that includes Poseida’s portfolio of CAR T-cell therapy candidates being developed for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases. Poseida and Roche have been collaborating since 2022 on cell therapies for people with blood cancer. The companies…
A mesenchymal stem cell therapy led to significant improvements in quality-of-life scores for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small clinical trial, according to the treatment’s developer Hope Biosciences Research Foundation (HBRF). “The results of this trial are groundbreaking for multiple sclerosis,” Donna Chang, president of HBRF,…
Increased production of cholesterol by stem cells in the brain contributes to neurological damage in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study conducted in lab-grown cells. Findings suggest cholesterol-lowering medications can reverse this damage, implying such treatments might be able to be repurposed for MS. “Cholesterol metabolism has…
Combining the approved medication Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) with targeted therapy using a patient’s own immune cells may eventually be a promising way of treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent research. The targeted therapy uses tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs), which are being tested in clinical trials, to make…
Poltreg will receive a patent in China that covers the administration of its cell-based therapy PTG-007 for multiple sclerosis (MS) via an injection into the spinal canal, or intrathecally. The method showed superior benefits compared with PTG-007’s intravenous infusion into the bloodstream in a Phase 1b/2a study of people…
Glial cells, which mostly support the function of nerve cells, play key roles in multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression and development, according to a stem cell-based study. “Most research and therapeutic strategies have so far focused on blocking the overactive immune system, but how cells in the brain itself,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to Immpact Bio to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial to test IMPT-514, its experimental cell therapy, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). With the investigational new drug (IND) clearance by the FDA, Immpact Bio now…
TG Therapeutics plans to soon launch a Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate the CAR T-cell therapy azercabtagene zapreleucel, or azer-cel, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The announcement comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared TG’s…