I will be the first person with AS to have the allogenic transplant by Dr. Burt. But once he writes up the protocol it will be open to anyone with AS for evaluation.
It was interesting to talk to him. He first goes to a healthy sibling for the harvest of the stem cells (i have two sisters). they must be a match including the HLA B27 gene. this is what's tripped him up he says. He must transplant that geneotype. Most people with HLA 27 do not have AS. For example I am scandanavian. 24 percent of us are positive and 1.8 percent have AS. It's by far the highest subgroup of people. normally 8 percent of caucasians have BLA27. If my sisters dont match up he will go to a registry where he says I have a 60-70 percent chance of a match.
It's still going to be a long road. But it's something I have been persueing since meeting Dr. Burt at a talk 3 years ago. He invited me for an evaluation after I had my rheumy email him with my "problems" with substandard response to TNF therapy.
I'm very excited about the possibility and one day i will have this done.
