A biology teacher from Bushey has made history by becoming the first patient in the UK to receive a “gamechanger” therapy to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).
MS is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing symptoms such as extreme tiredness, blurred vision, and numbness. It cannot be cured but treatment can be provided to help manage it.
However, thanks to the bravery of a Bushey resident, the lives of more than 150,000 people in the UK with the condition could be transformed.
The CAR T-cell treatment is custom-built for each patient in the lab and can halt or slow down the progression of the disease.
A patient’s own T cells, which are used to track infected or damaged cells, are genetically engineered by scientists and are then fed back into the patient by an infusion to ‘re-set’ the immune system.
Emily Henders, 37, received the treatment at University College London Hospital (UCLH) as part of a global trial into whether it can treat MS.
Emily, who is married and has two young sons, told the PA Media news agency that she was feeling well after receiving the infusion, which only lasted three minutes.
She said: “I’m actually feeling really good. I’m feeling normal and I’ve got energy back. I don’t have any nausea. I’ve had no fevers. I’m feeling pretty relaxed.”
According to UCLH consultant haematologist Claire Roddie, CAR T-cell treatment has shown success in treating cancer and the autoimmune disease lupus.
She said: “Our ultimate goal is to achieve long periods of disease remission with a single, one-time CAR T-cell treatment.”
The trial aims to recruit up to 18 patients globally by early 2027.
Photo: University College London
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