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What is Multiple Sclerosis?
So, What is MS?
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack the central nervous system. This attack can cause damage to the brain, spinal cord, and even the optic nerves.
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When the immune system goes on the attack, it specifically targets the myelin, or fatty insulation, that protects the nervous system and the nerves themselves.
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The odd thing about MS is the symptoms of this damage are different for every single person. The symptoms can be sporadic for some and constant for others. It also gets worse at different rates. So, it is a very unpredictable disease.
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One thing we know for sure is the symptoms are debilitating, and the symptoms are diverse. It can affect people's vision, and cause tingling and numbness, pain, muscle spasms, fatigue, balance issues, bladder problems, sexual dysfunction, and even cognitive problem.
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Over 50 percent of people who are diagnosed with MS will at some point end up needing some sort of device to assist with walking.
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What causes MS?
Despite all the research that has gone into trying to understand and treat multiple sclerosis, no one has discovered what causes the immune system to begin attacking itself.
How many people have MS?
A 2019 study estimated that nearly 1 million people in the United States alone live with multiple sclerosis. No one knows if this number is so high because we are just getting better at diagnosing MS, if it is just the result of population growth, or that more people are managing to live longer due to medical advancements.
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Who gets MS?
There is also no known reason for why someone might get MS. There is speculation that it may be genetic for some, since a family history of MS can put one at higher risk for developing. It may also be environmental, but nothing has been clearly identified.
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However, those who have multiple sclerosis will experience their first onset of symptoms typically between the ages of 20 to 40 years old, with the majority of MS patients experiencing initial onset in their thirties.
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Types of MS
While it takes a while to confirm the type of MS someone has, there are three types of multiple sclerosis.
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The most common type is Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS). This is characterized by periodic progression of worsening symptoms followed by periodic periods of remission where some or all of a patient's MS symptoms may fade for a time. When symptoms come back or get worse, a patient is considered to be undergoing a relapse.
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The second type is Primary Progressive MS (PPMS). This is characterized by a constant presence of symptoms, where symptoms never go into remission and consistently get worse.
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The third type is Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS). This is diagnosed when someone with RRMS begins stops going into remission and begins experiencing similar constant symptoms and progression as someone with PPMS.
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Treatment Options for MS
The treatment protocol in the United states is to use what are called Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs). These are drug protocols designed to slow disease progression and reduce the number of relapses, but they do not completely stop the disease. Even newer therapies only slow it for a year or two after getting started on them before they become no more effective as older therapies.
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Some of the newer medications are done through infusions, including Ocrevus and Tysabri. Older medications include injectable medications like ofatumumab and old school oral medications like teriflunomide.
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The most promising treatment for MS though is hematopoietic stem cell therapy (HSCT). While HSCT was originally used as a cancer treatment, research has shown it to be an effective treatment for autoimmune diseases. Unlike other stem cell therapies, the application of chemo to wipe out the old immune system followed by stem cell transplantation to reboot the immune system is quite effective.
Dr. Burt began the first applications of HSCT for MS over twenty years ago, and research has repeatedly shown it to be the most effective long-term treatment option for MS. However, it has yet to be approved by the FDA as an approved treatment for MS in the United States.
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