Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease that mostly affects women over the age of 30.  It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the skin and other organs.  It is a very difficult condition to treat, but a new stem cell therapy may soon provide a cure.

Researchers from Duke University in the United States published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, describing how their stem cell therapy works.  The paper also shares some results of a trial they recently performed, which followed a large group of patients for 54 months.

Scleroderma is considered one of the worst autoimmune diseases because it can be fatal.  It is a very unpredictable condition which can affect everything from a person’s finger joints to their internal organs.  The symptoms of scleroderma include joint pain, rashes, ulcers, swollen blood vessels, chronic cough, hardened fingers, headache, and Raynaud’s syndrome (an exaggerated response to cold temperatures).  There is currently no cure for scleroderma, but symptoms can be treated with medications, physiotherapy and surgery.

The Duke researchers tested their stem cell therapy on 75 patients, with 36 being given stem cells and 39 being given the traditional treatment option which involves chemotherapy.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the first time that scientists had thought of using stem cells to treat this condition.  There were animal tests in the 1980s which used stem cells to treat autoimmune disease.  However, this trial is the largest human trial that has been performed so far.

The researchers began by obtaining blood samples from the subjects.  They removed the autoreactive cells from the samples, which are responsible for causing the disease.  They then isolated the healthy cells.  The patients then received a whole body irradiation treatment.  This is designed to rid the body of its remaining autoreactive cells.  The purified stem cells are then injected into the patient, reprogramming the immune system to behave normally. 

The researchers found that patients receiving the stem cell therapy had a remarkable improvement in their condition after 54 months.  Additional trials are required, but researchers may have discovered a cure for this horrible condition.

Source: Promising stem cell therapy for scleroderma helps treat ‘haywire’ immune system

{{cta(‘d59882b5-74e2-4033-be94-d4c340e1978c’)}}