A cure for stiff person syndrome might finally be here
What's the story
A team of neurologists in the US has made a potentially significant breakthrough in treating stiff person syndrome (SPS), an autoimmune condition that affects the central nervous system. The rare disease can cause severe rigidity and painful muscle spasms all over the body. Despite years of research, no cure has been found. The new treatment, CAR-T cell therapy, has shown "exciting" results in improving the lives of people living with SPS.
Treatment details
CAR-T cell therapy used in study
CAR-T cell therapy, a cancer treatment that reprograms a patient's immune cells to fight disease, was used in the study.
The T cells of SPS patients were extracted and engineered to destroy disease-causing cells.
The results were published in the medical journal Jama Neurology.
Neurologists said these findings are particularly exciting as patients have been able to return to activities they thought they'd never be able to do again.
Patient experiences
Patient returns to work after treatment
Jonathan Walden, a trial patient who had difficulty walking and needed help with daily tasks, has returned to work after receiving CAR-T.
"I can go to work every single day. I can do everything I did before," he said.
Another patient, Shari St Germain, who suffered from severe leg cramps and muscle rigidity, also reported major improvements after the treatment.
"Every day feels "better and better,"" she said.
Future prospects
Hope for patients with other immune-mediated neurologic conditions
Dr. Sean Pittock, chair of the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic, said CAR-T therapy has already "transformed the treatment of some cancers" and is now showing potential in autoimmune neurologic diseases.
He added that the results in SPS offer great hope not just for those living with this disease but also for patients with other immune-mediated neurologic conditions.
Yasmin Sheikh, head of policy and public affairs at Anthony Nolan, a blood cancer charity, called this research an exciting development.