Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) is increasingly being investigated as a treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). An observational study from Sweden analyzed 174 RRMS patients who underwent aHSCT, evaluating both treatment efficacy and safety using data from the Swedish MS registry.
At a median follow-up of 5.5 years, the study found that 73% of patients showed no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) at five years, decreasing slightly to 65% at ten years. Among the 149 patients with baseline disability, 54% showed improvement, while 37% remained stable and 9% experienced worsening disability.
Regarding safety outcomes, the mean number of grade 3 adverse events per patient was 1.7, with febrile neutropenia occurring in 68% of cases. Grade 4 adverse events were rare, and no treatment-related deaths were reported.
The findings suggest that aHSCT provides long-term disease control with an acceptable safety profile, particularly for patients with highly active RRMS. Studies like this contribute to the ongoing discussion about its role in MS treatment.
