Nan Luke was just starting out her career as a lawyer when she went completely numb in the left side of her body. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a serious disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack the fatty layer that protects the nervous system, impairing nerve signals that control all bodily functions. Though the treatments slowed down the disease, Nan’s immune system continues to deteriorate. Lesions in her brain continue to grow, and she has lost some function of multiple crucial bodily systems.

Nan continued to fight her disease, and she decided to become a patient advocate to help others suffering from MS. In her role as a patient advocate, Nan learned about the potential of stem cell research to drastically improve the lives of MS patients, as well as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other autoimmune disease patients.

Rather than simply slowing down the symptoms of MS, stem cell treatments in animal trials have actually restored function to formerly paralyzed areas. The possibility for such treatments to be successful in humans is very exciting, and Nan is happy to be working with the UC Irvine Stem Cell Research Lab to help spread the word about this revolutionary research. To learn more about Nan’s story and the stem cell research surrounding MS, click here.