A new stem cell treatment performed on a patient suffering with multiple sclerosis has proved to be successful.

The new stem cell treatment involves doctors removing stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow to destroy all the existing immune cells in the body before re-injecting his stem cells, abc.net.au reports.

Multiple sclerosis affects the central nervous system and stops nerve impulses travelling to the brain, spinal cord and eyes.

Australian doctors say the risk of death from this procedure was at around 8% several years ago but has now been reduced to 1%.