An open prospective study with multiple intrathecal or intravenous injections of autologous MSC in 24 patients with progressive forms of MS (secondary progressive, primary progressive or relapsing-progressive), who failed to respond to first and second lines of immunomodulatory treatments and deteriorated (at least 0.5 degree in the EDSS scale) during the year preceding their inclusion to our study or had at least one major relapse without sufficient recovery. Patients will be treated with 1x10 million MSC per kg of body weight, intrathecally and intravenously and subsequently with up to 8 courses of IT- or IV-injections of MSC (at the same dose), at intervals of 6-12 months. The duration of the trial is 4 years.
Patients will be followed up every 3 months for the whole duration of the trial, for safety assessment and changes in the disability scores (EDSS).
Immunological analysis will be performed at 4 time points (day 1, month 1, month 3 and month 6) following the first MSC-treatment and will include a fluorescent cell sorter (FACS) analysis to evaluate the proportions of the lymphocytes expressing markers of immune activation or of regulatory cell phenotype.
