Stem Cell Treatment May be the Future for ALS Patients



Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is an incurable disease. Currently, 5,000 Americans are diagnosed with what is also called Lou Gehrig’s disease each year. Every step towards a possible therapeutic solution is a huge step, no matter how small.

The causes of ALS are still unknown. The disease breaks down the nerves in the spinal cord and brain that control muscle function in the body. As the muscles weaken, they eventually stop working properly. Once this effect hits the diaphragm and chest area, patients lose the ability to breathe without assistance. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, most patients die of respiratory breakdown caused by Lou Gehrig’s within the first three to five years.

Recently, a team from Emory University reported that stem cell therapy is safe for ALS patients.
In a small, early stage study on only 15 patients, data showed that the majority of them reacted well to high doses of stem cells injected into the spine, which is damaged by the disease. Only two of the ALS patients showed negative complications after the injections.

Although this is an important step towards a helpful treatment for ALS patients, it is only a start. Researchers are still unclear as to whether the injections provide any benefits to patients, they only can report that it is a safe procedure.

Several questions about the procedure remain, including whether it is safe as a long term treatment because stem cells can grow uncontrollably fast, sometimes causing cancer. Researchers are also hoping to discover the ways in which the therapy can help to slow the effects of ALS or even cure it.

If stem cells can actually infuse into the spine, they could release the type of chemicals that can shield nerve cells and the connections they have to muscles, slowing the degenerative process of ALS. The healthy nerve cells would be able to stay healthy longer, which would be a big win for ALS patients.

So far, the 15 patients responded fairly well to the stem cell injections of from 2 million to 16 million cells. Most patients experienced slight side effects of pain and reactions to the immune-suppressing drugs they had to take after each injection.


However, two patients developed serious reactions, including a swelling of the spinal cord and experiencing chronic pain. Doctors feel that these symptoms may be side effects that patients with a fatal diagnosis may be willing to accept, especially if it is proven that stem cell therapy has long term benefits. Time will tell.