Abstract: 32

Type: Hot Topic

Abstract Category: Hot Topic 4: HSCT and stem cell treatment in MS

A. Uccelli

Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatments are a promising strategy for treating neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). MSC within the bone marrow drive hematopoiesis displaying unexpected abilities to interact with hematopoietic precursors and immune cells. Upon transplantation in different animal models of neurological diseases, MSC exhibit a significant therapeutic plasticity as reflected by their ability to enhance tissue repair and influence the immune response leading to significant clinical amelioration as demonstrated in the prototypical model of autoimmunity of the central nervous system, namely experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Small clinical trials in MS subjects have demonstrated that MSC administration is safe and provided an early signal of clinical effectiveness. A large phase II multicenter clinical trial has been concluded with the aim of demonstrating safety and efficacy of MSC. Overall, current experimental evidence suggests that clinical exploitation of MSC for MS may lead to novel strategies aimed at blocking uncontrolled inflammation, protecting neurons and promoting repair, but not at restoring deranged neural network responsible for irreversible disability.
Disclosure: The author does not have any conflict of interest related to the topic of this abstract