Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a devastating disease that affects a person’s ability to control their own body. It is also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, after the famous baseball player who died of the condition in 1941.
ALS occurs when nerve cells break down, impairing functionality in the muscles they are meant to control. The main symptoms of ALS include muscle weakness, coordination problems, difficulty speaking, fatigue, and difficulty swallowing. While there are some treatments available that reduce the symptoms of the disease, it is currently incurable.
Researchers from University of Wisconsin–Madison are currently working on a potential treatment for ALS using stem cells. Their research is using stem cells to stop the progression of the disease before it can become life threatening.
One of the researchers involved in the project, Dr. Andrew Waclawik, explains how ALS can become life-threatening, “As a consequence of the motor neurone degeneration, patients develop progressive weakness, leading to eventual paralysis of all limbs, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and respiratory failure, which is the typical cause of death.”
The researchers are going to be using stem cells to stop the disease before it reaches this point. They are transplanting genetically modified stem cells into the lungs to prevent the degeneration of motor function.
The initial trials for this treatment will be performed on rodents. If the results of the trials are successful, they will be using stem cells in human trials within a couple of years. The research team understands the importance of working quickly because so many people are living within this devastating condition and running out of time.
Source: UW-Madison research focuses on stem cells to treat ALS
{{cta(‘d59882b5-74e2-4033-be94-d4c340e1978c’)}}