Here is My Question:
I posed the question about legitimacy of MSC Study in Panama City to which I received an answer that "We have no Information about this." Are you telling me the NMSS doesn't know Dr. Neil Riordan, doing the study, degreed from Univeristy of Nebraska Medical Center? Please inform all ss MS sufferers that you acknowledge this man?

Thanks

Answer:
First of all, this web site is not affiliated with or part of the National MS Society.

Second, there are many people studying different types of stem cells for the treatment of various diseases. We do not understand what you mean by, “not acknowledging this man” (meaning Neil Riordan). He is just one of many people around the world studying adult stem cells.

Third, it is premature to advocate treatment of people with MS using mesenchymal stem cell therapy outside of clinical trials. 

All therapies for MS require some evidence of benefit and lack of harm before we adopt them into clinical practice. I have no problem with researchers treating patients in the context of well designed and controlled clinical trials with informed consent and adequate follow-up to assess the risk and benefits of the treatment being studied.

Revere (Rip) Kinkel MN
Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program
Clinical Neurosciences Director
Professor of Clinical Neurosciences
University of California San Diego

Question:
There is a treatment for people with MS having HSCT, stem cells done in Russia, Singapore, the main countries as of yet. There is a long waiting list and it is not very cheap. My concern is the small percentage of deaths and complications. My MS is not active although I seem to have neuro pain and other issues, but not bad enough to have this treatment as of yet. Although the woman that started all this called Kristy Cruise who was on 60 minutes in Australia, has had everyone following her in her footsteps. Her MS was inactive but had her treatment in Russia with success. My question is what do you think of HSCT treatment and how will this treatment effect the "anxious" people?

Answer:
Hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) have featured prominently in the news for the past year but have been used for over 15 years to treat rare cases of aggressive MS at several centers in the US, Canada and Europe. This is not an approved indication for the treatment of MS and therefore not covered by insurance. Because of the prohibitive costs in the US, Canada and Europe, many people are traveling to Singapore and other countries able to provide HSCT and other medical procedures at a lower cost and, in some cases, fewer complications by well trained specialist. I am not aware of the facilities available in Russia. The real issue is whether HSCT are ready to be used on a wider scale in the treatment of MS. I believe that based on the current evidence, the answer is no. However, people should be able to make there own decision on this issue, as there is evidence to support HSCT in certain cases. My usual response is to advise people on the degree to which I think they may or may not benefit from this treatment.

Discuss this with your physician as I do not know the specifics of your case.

Revere (Rip) Kinkel MD
Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program
Professor of Clinical Neurosciences
University of California San Diego

PLEASE NOTE:  The information/opinions on this site should be used as an information resource only.  This information does not create any patient-HCP relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.

Here is My Question:
My daughter just had a baby and we have had the umbilical cord tissue and cord blood frozen. How or where do we go to find out if a transfusion can be done on me? Is it still experimental or can it be done at a specialized hospital? Do they do them in the US? I have RRMS.

Answer:  Cord blood is rich in bone marrow derived stem cells. These cells are not particularly useful as a source of neural stem cells (the kind required to regenerate the nervous system of MS patients). They are primarily used to treat diseases that affect cells of bone marrow lineage like leukemia and lymphoma. “Stem Cell” transplantation for MS using any source of stem cells is still very experimental. This field is not well regulated and private companies in the US and elsewhere are overhyping therapies and making unsubstantiated claims to make a lot of money off of patient fears.
I recommend going to the following website if you are interested in stem cell transplantation to learn more and find out the important questions to ask before you consider any of these therapies.
http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org

Dr. Kinkel