At St. Luke's Hospital, there is a Clinic for Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunological Disorders. The Clinic is addressed to all patients who suffer from the disease or who show symptoms of other neuroimmunological disorders. The Clinic plays a key role in the early diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and the referral of the patient for further examination. 

What is multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, i.e. the brain and spinal cord. This disease is characterized in its early stages by the production by the body itself of an inflammatory reaction, in which the main elements of our immune system participate. This reaction has as its ultimate goal the destruction of the myelin sheath. Myelin damage leads to nerve dysfunction and the appearance of the first manifestations of the disease. 

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Services offered

The Clinic, in collaboration with other departments, such as Haematology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology and Neurosurgery, offers patients a holistic treatment of the disease and other neuroimmunological disorders. The holistic and individualised treatment of the disease facilitates the work of the attending physician and contributes to the improvement of the patient's quality of life. Some of the services offered are:

• Diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of neuroimmunological disorders
• Complete imaging and laboratory testing
• Immediate treatment of relapses 
• Possibility of hospitalisation of patients with neuroimmunological disorders in a safe medical environment

Monoclonal antibodies

New therapeutic horizons in Multiple Sclerosis

Monoclonal antibodies are specific antibodies, which are prepared in the laboratory and are aimed at connecting or destroying a predetermined target within the human body. The officially approved monoclonal antibodies to Multiple Sclerosis are the following:

• Natalizumab (Tysabri ®). Natalizumab is the first monoclonal antibody that received therapeutic approval for use in the recurrent form of Multiple Sclerosis. This antibody has the ability to attach to the central nervous system effectively, preventing harmful lymphocytes from entering it and causing demyelinating lesions. 

Based on the relevant studies, natalizumab reduced the risk of developing disability in Multiple Sclerosis by 42% in the first two years and the number of clinical relapses by 68% in the first year of treatment. At the same time, patients who received this treatment experienced an 83% reduction in the number of new lesions in the first two years on the brain MRI.

• Alemtuzumab (Lemtrada ®). Alemtuzumab is one of the newest monoclonal antibodies approved for therapeutic use in the recurrent form of Multiple Sclerosis. Alemtuzumab binds to the surface of a special class of T and B lymphocytes (CD19), leading to their destruction and suppression of the inflammatory, demyelinating reaction. 

Based on relevant studies, alemtuzumab reduced the risk of progression of disability in MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS by 42% and the number of clinical relapses by 49% during the first 2 years of its use.

Other monoclonal antibodies for which there are studies in MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

• Rituximab (MabThera ®)
• Tocilizumab (Roactemra ®)
• Ocrelizumab
• Daclizumab

Treatment plan of Multiple Sclerosis

Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis has unfortunately not been discovered yet. The therapeutic strategy involves the reduction of relapses of the disease with the use of appropriate monoclonal antibodies and targeted symptomatic therapy to improve neurological discomfort.