A new cell therapy for patients with liver disease has been called a “godsend” for one Scottish woman.
Sandra Watson, of West Lothian, was treated with the trial therapy in October 2016.
Ten years later, she remains transplant-free.
“Although I’m not cured, taking part in the trial has given me so much more freedom,” Ms Watson said.
“I used to have a dreadful itch caused by the condition and would wake up bleeding from scratching during the night.
“It’s been 10 years since I received the treatment and I still haven’t experienced the itch or had a bout of jaundice, which is a godsend.”
The 61-year-old was diagnosed with liver problems while working in the hospitality industry two decades ago.
She was 39 years old when she started feeling very lethargic and had an “annoying” itch and night sweats.
She was sent to hospital and eventually diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a type of liver disease that can get gradually worse over time. Without treatment, it may eventually lead to liver failure.
“It was quite alarming and felt like I had just been given a death sentence,” Ms Watson said.
“I attended the hospital outpatients every six months for blood tests and scans. My bloods were quite unstable, I had bouts of jaundice and still the dreaded itch,” she said.
In 2016, Ms Watson was asked if she would like to take part in the cell therapy trial.
The therapy involves taking immune cells from the patients’ blood and turning them into mature macrophages – a type of white blood cell that “eats” damaged or infected cells – which are then re-injected back into the patient.
“I was a bit dubious about it, but thought surely it can’t make me feel any worse than I feel now,” she said.
“After a while, I started to notice I wasn’t itching so I withdrew that medication just to see, and the dreadful itch had disappeared.
“I still attend the hospital every six months for scans and bloods and after 22 years of being diagnosed my bloods are still quite high, but they are stable and no deterioration.”
She added: “I’m so grateful to have been able to take part in the trial and hope that one day the treatment might be available for others like me.”
