Céline Dion’s Rare Disorder Gets Hopeful Treatment Breakthrough
Nearly four years after Céline Dion revealed her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, researchers are pointing to a possible treatment breakthrough for the rare neurological disorder.
According to People, Dr. Amanda Piquet, Dion’s physician, said $2 million from the Céline Dion Foundation has helped support research into what she called a “potential therapeutic” that could be “revolutionary” for stiff-person syndrome.
The treatment being studied is CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment best known for cancer care, now being explored for this rare autoimmune neurological condition.
How the treatment could work
Dr. Piquet explained that CAR T-cell therapy uses a patient’s own T-cells, which are changed so they can go after harmful immune cells.
As People reported, she said those T-cells “seek and destroy” the misbehaving B-cells, with the hope that the immune system can reset in a healthier way.
Piquet told People that one patient went from using a walker to walking down a hallway 16 weeks after therapy. She also said patients saw a 46% improvement.
NeurologyLive reported that the trial looked at 26 patients with stiff-person syndrome who had already tried at least one immunotherapy, and the 46% figure was tied to improvement in a timed 25-foot walk test.
Still, this is not the same as saying there’s a cure. Not yet. It’s promising, and for people living with a rare disease, promising can mean a lot.
What stiff-person syndrome does
Stiff-person syndrome, often called SPS, is a rare neurological disorder that can cause stiff muscles in the torso, arms, and legs.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that people with SPS can also have greater sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress, which may trigger muscle spasms.
Johns Hopkins Medicine highlights that classic SPS often affects the lower back and legs more than the arms, and some people may walk with a stiff gait or deal with frequent spasms and pain. That’s the part people often misunderstand, this isn’t normal stiffness after a long day. This can steal a person’s independence.
For Celine Dion, and for others living with stiff-person syndrome, the tests mentioned earlier in the article are very important.
More About:Health