Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis (AHSCT)
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If you wish to find out whether you may be suitable for this treatment, please read the information on this website carefully.
If, after reading this information and discussing it with your MS team, you still feel that the treatment may be helpful you need to talk to your own neurologist or GP about a referral.
What Is Autologous Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (AHSCT)?
The aim of AHSCT is to ‘reset’ the immune system to stop it from attacking the body.
Haematopoietic stem cells are not the type of stem cells that would be expected to change into or regenerate permanently damaged parts of the brain and spinal cord.
The AHSCT treatment uses high doses of chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody treatments, and therefore is more intensive and higher risk than most other MS treatments.
We are currently able to offer treatment for patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, Stiff Person Syndrome and Progressive Encephalomyelitis with Rigidity and Myoclonus.
StarMS is a groundbreaking trial comparing AHSCT against four other highly effective drug treatments which have shown great promise in clinical trials (alemtuzumab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab and cladribine).
Findings from the international MIST trial showed MS stem cell treatment stabilises the disease and improves disability in patients with 'aggressive' MS.
MIST is the first ever international large scale randomised trial into autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and has shown that the treatment stabilised the disease and improves disability in people who had experienced 2 or more relapses in the year before joining the trial.
During the trial, researchers recruited 110 people with relapsing remitting MS and frequent relapses on convention drug therapy.
