An Australian man who was confined to a wheelchair by multiple sclerosis has made a remarkable recovery after receiving a ground breaking stem cell treatment.
Ben Leahy, 20, was diagnosed with the disease in 2008 and lost the ability to stand within a few months. However, a new procedure to combat the disease has helped him regain his health and he is now walking again. The treatment targets the immune system of multiple sclerosis patients, which turns in on it self causing damage to nerves which can lead to blurred vision, loss of balance and paralysis.
Doctors carried out a new technique to remove stem cells from his bone marrow before using chemicals to destroy all his immune cells. The stem cells were then transplanted back into Mr Leahy’s body to replenish the immune system – effectively resetting it.
Dr Colin Andrews, a neurologist from Canberra, said the positive results had surprised doctors. Telegraph.co.uk 14th December 2009
Multiple sclerosis affects about 85,000 people in the UK alone. The treatment targets the immune system of multiple sclerosis patients, turning it on it-self causing damage to nerves which can lead to blurred vision, loss of balance and paralysis.