NEW HOPE TO REVERSE CRIPPLING MS!
BREAKTHROUGH THERAPY!
APROMISING new immunotherapy appeared to reverse the damaging effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent trial and may pave the way to a cure for the crippling autoimmune condition, scientists say.
Researchers utilized a treatment harnessing cells responsible for fighting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The bug is known to cause mononucleosis but has also been identified as a possible trigger for MS.
Nearly 1 million Americans are believed to have MS, in which the body attacks nerve cells in the brain and spine, causing problems with vision, balance, muscle control and other basic functions. Several celebrities have revealed their diagnosis with the incurable and progressively worsening disease, including Married with Children beauty Christina Applegate, Tootsie actress Teri Garr, reality TV’s Jack Osbourne, talk show veteran Montel Williams and Cruel Intentions’ Selma Blair.
In the groundbreaking trial, Atara Biotherapeutics’ ATA188 — which was created from disease-fighting T-cells harvested from those who successfully recovered from EBV — was administered to 24 participants. Scientists say within one year 20 patients saw their condition stabilize or improve!
According to the team, brain scans suggested the progression of the disease was slowed among those who responded to the therapy — which triggers the body’s immune system to fight the disease
— and some patients were even able to walk with less pain!
Dr. Manher Joshi, chief medical officer at Atara, notes, “These data on progressive MS, the population with highest unmet need, underscore the potential to halt or reverse disability progression by precisely targeting what may be a root cause of MS.”