Hope for a cure for multiple sclerosis

Twenty-three patients improve after being treated with stem cells:

The trial, which is the first in the world to show complete long-term remission from the debilitating disease has been hailed by experts as ‘exciting’ ‘unprecedented,’ and ‘close to curative.’...

The new technique, which is a treatment usually used to fight leukaemia, involves using chemotherapy to entirely eradicate the damaged immune system, before rebooting it with a transfusion of bone marrow cells. Out of the 24 patients who were given the treatment at least seven years ago, the majority have seen significant improvements. 70 per cent of patients saw a complete stop to the progression of the disease, while 40 per cent saw a reversal in symptoms such as vision loss, muscle weakness and balance loss...

A variation of this procedure has been used to treat leukaemia for decades, but its use for auto-immune diseases is relatively new. “This is very exciting. However, it is important to note that this therapy can have serious side effects and risks, and would only be appropriate for a small proportion of people with very active MS.” During the trial one participant died of liver failure due to the treatment and another required intensive care for liver complications. 

More details at The Telegraph (or better yet Google some key words)