Presented by
Daniel Reich, MD, PhD
Nature continues to demonstrate that the human body can produce cells capable of modifying and treating a variety of conditions, including autoimmune diseases such as MS. Advances in technology enable the isolation, purification, and modification of these cells to harness their unique properties. In this session, we discuss ongoing efforts to develop cells that may replace those affected by MS, including oligodendrocytes and other neural cells. The ability to harvest purified stem cells to replenish a diseased or ablated immune system continues to support the use of transplantation as a treatment for aggressive disease or MS that is refractory to standard therapies. In addition, the ability to modify immune cells by reengineering T-cell receptors (CAR-T) opens the door to more antigen-specific therapies and the development of cells capable of crossing into the CNS to identify and target disease-related processes.