Autoimmune Diseases Stem cell transplants show promise, but more research needed Some day, doctors may be able to cure autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis with bone-marrow transplants, says a recent report from The Lancet . In a small study, patients with systemic lupus were injected with their own purified stem cells, reports this wire service story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .
Stem cells are immature cells that can develop into any cell type in the body.
All the patients are in remission, and organ damage that was believed to be permanent has been reversed. So far, the patients have been followed for about three years. The scientists don't know if the effects will be long-lasting or just temporary. And the transplants would be reserved for the sickest patients because they can cause fatal infections. Another treatment in the works may test a doctor's powers of persuasion before getting a patient to agree to it.