Evaluation of Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation (Effects and Side Effects) in Multiple Sclerosis

Treatment tested

• intravenous injection of mesenchymal stem cells

Placebo or sham

• injection of cell free media

Other measures (3)

Inclusion Criteria: * Both gender * Age: 18-55years * Duration of disease: 2-10 years * Relapsing remitting with drug resistance * EDSS: 3-6.5 * Resistance to immunomodulatory and cytotoxic drugs: * At least 1-2 sever relapse during 1 year drug treatment * At least increase 1 point of EDSS during 1 year drug treatment * Secondary progressive or relapsing multiple sclerosis * Primary progressive MS with relapse or GAD positive enhancement * Secondary progressive MS with relapse * Secondary progressive MS without relapse:progression of disease with 1 point increase of EDSS during last 18 months Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy positive test * Under treatment with cytotoxic drugs at the same time or during last 3 months * Under treatment with immunomodulatory drugs at the same time or during last month * Relapse of disease 30 days or less than 30 days before transplantation * Primary progressive MS with out relapse or GAD positive enhancement

Multiple sclerosis is a multifocal inflammatory disease of the central nervous system which affects young individuals and causes paralysis of the limbs, sensation, visual and sphincter problems. The disease is caused by an autoimmune mechanism, ie the immune system produces antibodies and cells which attack the self myelin antigens, causing therefore demyelination. The disease is clinically evident with relapses of neurological disability due to the dysfunction of the areas (plaques of multiple sclerosis) in which damage of myelin occurs. Disability can accumulate with time and the disease enters a progressive phase due to damage of the axons and irreversible neurodegeneration. Although, effective immunotherapies exist which downregulate the autoimmune anti-myelin reactivity and reduce the rate of relapses of MS (like Copaxone and interferons), there is no effective means today to stop the progression of disability and induce rebuilding of the destroyed myelin.Adult bone marrow derived stromal cells (MSC) were shown to induce similar (to the neuronal stem cells) immunomodulatory and neuroregenerative effects and were shown in our laboratory to induce neuroprotection in the animal model of chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). These bone marrow derived MSCs offer practical advantages for clinical therapeutic applications, since they can be obtained from the adult bone marrow and therefore the patient can be the donor for himself, without any danger for rejection of the cells. In addition, MSCs carry a safer profile and are less prone to malignant transformation. Our center will perform a clinical trial with intra venous transplantation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell.our purpose is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of cell transplantation after 1year following up.