To assess in multiple sclerosis (MS) the effect of intense immunosuppression followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (AHSCT) vs mitoxantrone (MTX) on disease activity measured by MRI. ⋯ Intense immunosuppression followed by AHSCT is significantly superior to MTX in reducing MRI activity in severe cases of MS. These results strongly support further phase III studies with primary clinical endpoints. The study was registered as EUDRACT No. 2007-000064-24.
Giovanni L Mancardi, Maria P Sormani, Francesca Gualandi, Albert Saiz, Eric Carreras, Elisa Merelli, Amedea Donelli, Alessandra Lugaresi, Paolo Di Bartolomeo, Maria R Rottoli, Alessandro Rambaldi, Maria P ... more Amato, Luca Massacesi, Massimo Di Gioia, Luisa Vuolo, Daniela Currò, Luca Roccatagliata, Massimo Filippi, Umberto Aguglia, Pasquale Iacopino, Dominique Farge, Riccardo Saccardi, ASTIMS Haemato-Neurological Collaborative Group, On behalf of the Autoimmune Disease Working Party (ADWP) of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), and ASTIMS Haemato-Neurological Collaborative Group On behalf of the Autoimmune Disease Working Party ADWP of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation EBMT. less
From the MRI Center for Neurological Diseases (L.R.), Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal and Child Health (G.L.M., D.C.), and the Biostatistic Unit, Departmen... more t of Health Sciences (M.P.S., L.R.), University of Genova; the Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit (F.G.), S. Martino Hospital, Genova, Italy; the Service of Neurology (A.S.) and the Hematology Department (E.C.), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Agustí Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Neurosciences (E.M.) and the Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Department of Hematology and Oncology (A.D.), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; the MS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (A.L.), University Gabriele D'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara; the Bone Marrow Transplant Center, Department of Hematology (P.D.B.), Spirito Santo Hospital, Pescara; the Multiple Sclerosis Unit Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII (M.R.R.), Bergamo; the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit Azienda Ospedaliera Papa Giovanni XXIII (A.R.), Bergamo; Division Neurology 1 (M.P.A.) and Division Neurology 2, Drug and Child Health (L.M., L.V.), Department of Neurosciences, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit (M.D.G., R.S.), Careggi University Hospital, University of Firenze; the Neuroimaging Research Unit (M.F.), Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan; the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (U.A.), Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro; the Advanced Cellular Therapy Center IRCCS "Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II" Bari (P.I.), Italy; and the Internal Medicine and Vascular Disease Unit (D.F.), Assistance Publique Hospitaux de Paris (AP-HP) INSERM U 796, Paris 7 University, Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France. glmancardi@neurologia.unige.it. less