Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
There has been a lot of interest into autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and how it might work to improve clinical outcomes for people with MS. Previous research work from scientists at the St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and by other researchers has shown that AHSCT can “re-set” the immune system, possibly leading to disease remission and better outcomes for people with MS. The nature of the person most likely to benefit from AHSCT is still being determined.
St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney is one of the leading hospitals performing AHSCT in MS in Australia and has a strategic partnership with MS Research Australia to advance cellular therapies such as AHSCT. St Vincent’s also has a biobank of blood samples collected from patients over time, both before and after the AHSCT procedure.
Dr Visweswaran and her team hope to shed light on how the AHSCT procedure induces the beneficial effects seen in MS. Current thinking is that changes to the metabolic state of immune cells may be important in this process. This concept will be investigated in this study by closely examining the metabolic profile of immune cells to see how the transplant affects their metabolism. The research team has access to the biobank blood samples and the clinical progress reports of past patients and can match the laboratory results to clinical outcomes to gain an even deeper understanding of the procedure. By understanding these underlying mechanisms, it is hoped that safer and more effective transplant options may be developed for the future, enhancing our understanding of processes contributing to a successful AHSCT outcome and the best candidate for the procedure in people living with MS.
There has been a lot of interest into autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and how it might work to improve clinical outcomes for people with MS. Previous research work from scientists at the St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and by other researchers has shown that AHSCT can “re-set” the immune system, possibly leading to disease remission and better outcomes for people with MS. The nature of the person most likely to benefit from AHSCT is still being determined.
St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney is one of the leading hospitals performing AHSCT in MS in Australia and has a strategic partnership with MS Research Australia to advance cellular therapies such as AHSCT. St Vincent’s also has a biobank of blood samples collected from patients over time, both before and after the AHSCT procedure.
Dr Visweswaran and her team hope to shed light on how the AHSCT procedure induces the beneficial effects seen in MS. Current thinking is that changes to the metabolic state of immune cells may be important in this process. This concept will be investigated in this study by closely examining the metabolic profile of immune cells to see how the transplant affects their metabolism. The research team has access to the biobank blood samples and the clinical progress reports of past patients and can match the laboratory results to clinical outcomes to gain an even deeper understanding of the procedure. By understanding these underlying mechanisms, it is hoped that safer and more effective transplant options may be developed for the future, enhancing our understanding of processes contributing to a successful AHSCT outcome and the best candidate for the procedure in people living with MS.
