MS stem cell breakthrough

An Oxford professor who was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) six years ago aged 49 has revealed how a new form of stem cell treatment, that does not rely on foetal stem cells, halted the disease.

Robert Douglas-Fairhurst told The Times newspaper in December that his condition deteriorated quickly for the first two years. In 2019, he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) – the implantation of the patient’s own stem cells.

As evangelical Dr Denis R. Alexander, Emeritus Director at The Faraday Institute, explained: ‘These then develop into a new set of immune cells that now function properly, so there are no more self-destructive attacks.’