AI Insight
Two patients with severe autoimmune disease affecting the spinal cord and optic nerve received stem cell therapy and have remained in remission for 15 years. This represents the first successful long-term application of this treatment approach for this particular autoimmune condition. The therapy appears to have effectively reset the patients' immune systems, preventing further attacks on their nervous tissue.
Why it matters
This demonstrates that stem cell therapy can provide lasting relief for severe autoimmune diseases that damage the central nervous system, potentially offering hope for patients with conditions like neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. The 15-year follow-up period provides unusually strong evidence for the durability of this treatment approach.
Nature, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01925-7
Two people were the first to receive the therapy for a condition that damages the spinal cord and optic nerve.
Source: Stem cells banish severe autoimmune disease for 15 years