summary: In chronic phases of MS, after a first period characterised by inflammatory-demyelinating changes, a slow, progressive and irreversible damage of the central nervous system (CNS) is a predominant feature of the disease, being possibly responsible for the accrual of disability. Current MS drugs are only able to reduce the inflammatory-demyelinating component. They do not have a clear effect on the progressive damage occurring in the CNS nor do they have an effect as regenerative agents of the damaged tissue of the brain or spinal cord. For this reason, stem cell therapy could be an appealing therapeutic approach, as it seems able to promote regeneration of this permanent damage. Neural stem cells have been shown to provoke a significant amelioration of damaged neural tissue in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS. However, neural stem cells have not yet been tested in humans with MS, in contrast with haematopoietic stem cells, whose efficacy as treatment for people with MS is still a matter of controversy. In this study the authors compared two groups of common marmosets (primates) with EAE. One group was treated with human neural stem cells and the other received a placebo. They found that the group treated with neural stem cells had significantly better outcomes in terms of accumulated disability and survival. This study represents a major step towards a future use of neural stem cells for people with MS.

authors: Pluchino S, Gritti A, Blezer E, Amadio S, Brambilla E, Borsellino G, Cossetti C, Del Carro U, Comi G, 't Hart B, Vescovi A, Martino G

source: Ann Neurol. 2009 May 11;66(3):343-354

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