summary: This small but significant proof-of-concept study from the UK reports initial results following the intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells to ten people with secondary progressive MS. A dosing regimen based on body weight was used and no serious adverse events where reported following administration, though three people experienced mild, self limiting side effects.

The authors used paraclinical assessments of the visual pathway as clinical outcome measures and as a surrogate marker of wider disease. The results seem to suggest some structural, functional and physiological improvement after treatment in some visual endpoints which might be suggestive of neuroprotection.

authors: Connick P, Kolappan M, Crawley C, Webber DJ, Patani R, Michell AW, Du MQ, Luan SL, Altmann DR, Thompson AJ, Compston A, Scott MA, Miller DH, Chandran S.

source: Lancet Neurol. 2012 Jan 9. [Epub ahead of print]

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