By JASON MCINTYRE
MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.
Progressive MS, the least common of the four disease courses, is characterized by steadily worsening disease from the beginning, but with occasional relapses along the way. People with this form of MS may or may not experience some recovery following these attacks, but the disease continues to progress without remissions.
Jason fits the criteria to be chosen as part of a government stem cell research project at ST Vincents Hospital Sydeny, (only 40 people in Australia have received this treatment, and 500 world wide). This strict criteria was finally met after all available MS medication were deemed non responsive as just one criteria.
Stem Cell Therapy involves an Autologous bone marrow transplant which is where stem cells are removed from you before you receive high-dose chemotherapy or radiation treatment and stored in a freezer (cryopreservation). After high-dose chemotherapy or radiation treatments are done, your stems cells are put back in your body to add to your normal blood cells. This is called a “rescue” transplant.