Stem Cells for ALS

Stem cell treatment for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is offered by a variety of overseas clinics but there remains little evidence for the safety or efficacy of such procedures despite calls for further research by patients and advocates. ALS, also know as motor neuron disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive illness with devastating effects about which little is really known. The motor neurons are the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord which control contractions of the muscles, as well as glandular secretion and organ function. This disease which involves the gradual wastage of the motor neurons impacts a wide variety of bodily systems as well as general mobility.

Who Suffers from ALS?

Fortunately, ALS remains a rare condition, but where it does occur it is usually fatal within three to five years. Perhaps the second most famous person with ALS (after Lou Gehrig) is Stephen Hawking who has lived with the illness for more than forty years, offering a rare example of someone surviving with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis long after its onset. Men between the ages of forty and seventy years old are the most commonly affected group suffering from ALS, marking it out as different to multiple sclerosis which predominantly affects women at a younger age. Only around a tenth of patients with ALS have a form connected to a genetic defect, the majority of patients suffer from sporadic ALS that occurs without a family history of the condition and seemingly for no reason.

What is ALS?

ALS affects the transmission of nerve signals that permit movements involved in eating, speaking, walking, and eventually breathing and many patients require artificial respiration towards the ends of their life with the illness. The possibility of stem cell treatment preventing the progression of ALS and even potentially reversing the symptoms has yet to be thoroughly explored although there is no current cure for the disease. Unfortunately, any future stem cell treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis arising from such research are unlikely to help those already suffering from the disease as bringing new medications or procedures to market takes considerable time.

Read On: Treating ALS with Stem Cell Therapy