| REVIEW ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2014 | Volume
: 62
| Issue : 3 | Page : 239--248 |
Clinical relevance of stem cell therapies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amit K Srivastava
Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research and Cellular Imaging Section, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Correspondence Address:
Amit K Srivastava
Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Cellular Imaging Section, Institute for Cell Engineering, Miller Research Building, Room # 646, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland-21205-1832
USA
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.136895
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), characterized by the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. This disease is often accompanied by a tremendous physical and emotional burden not only for the patients, but also for their families and friends as well. There is no clinically relevant treatment available for ALS. To date, only one Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug, Riluzole, licensed 18 years ago, has been proven to marginally prolong patients' survival without improving the quality of their lives. Because of the lack of an effective drug treatment and the promising outcomes from several preclinical studies, researchers have highlighted this disease as a suitable candidate for stem cell therapy. This review article highlights the finding of key preclinical studies that present a rationale for the use of different types of stem cells for the treatment of ALS, and the most recent updates on the stem cell-based ALS clinical trials around the world.
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