Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system
(CNS), which ultimately leads to myelin damage and axonal loss. The disease is complex and
multifactorial, but the key pathogenic event appears to be an uncontrolled response of
components of the immune system (T and B lymphocytes) to myelin proteins. No definitive
treatment is available for MS, however immunomodulatory and immunosuppressant drugs act as
disease-modifying agents (DMDs).
Unfortunately, the current treatments demonstrate partial efficacy in targeting the
deleterious immune reactions. According to the present knowledge of the pathophysiology of
MS, an ideal therapeutic strategy would be to modulate or suppress the aggressive immune
process, to protect axons and neurons from degeneration, and to enhance repair and facilitate
remyelination.
A specific form of stem cells, called adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), has shown
remarkable ability to modulate the immune response. This study will evaluate the safety of
injecting MSCs in people with MS.