Stem Cell Treatment improves an Autoimmune Condition Affecting the Nervous System

Student Summary by Olivia Liu 

Original Source: Rachel Fieldhouse & Nature magazine, Scientific American, June 22, 2026

 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stem-cells-banish-severe-autoimmune-disease-for-15-years/

Image Created by Olivia Liu

Abstract

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune disease (i.e. a condition in which your immune system attacks your own body) in which immune systems create antibodies that strike the spinal cord and the nerve connecting the brain and eye. This can cause vision loss, vomiting, and paralysis in the arms and legs, and the disease can even be fatal. Recently, however, scientists found that two patients had experienced more than 15 years of remission from NMOSD after receiving a stem-cell transplant.

Objective: Scientists wanted to know whether a stem-cell transplant could help treat two patients with severe NMOSD, since other treatments had not been able to relieve their symptoms.

Method: The two patients were each given an allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplant, which is when a person receives donor cells from another person's blood. Before the transplants, both patients were given chemotherapeutic drugs to remove the immune system's B cells, the cells that had been creating the antibodies attacking the spinal cord and optic nerve. They were also given antibodies and immunosuppressive drugs for a short period of time to prevent the donor cells from attacking the healthy cells of the recipient.

Results: After the transplants, both patients saw their health improve. The man's neurological function got better, and the woman was able to move her arms again and no longer needed medication to control her NMOSD symptoms. However, both patients also experienced some negative outcomes, such as antibody deficiency, bladder cancer, and swollen lymph nodes.

Conclusion: Overall, stem-cell transplantation showed positive effects, but it can also come with some negative ones. Because of this, doctors and patients still need to be cautious and weigh the benefits against the risks before deciding whether to use it.