Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition. The early signs of ALS include loss of upper and lower motor neurons, culminating in aggravated muscle weakness. ALS invariably results in paralysis, and respiratory failures, ultimately leading to death. Presently, there is no cure for ALS and novel treatments are required to slow down the progression of this deadly disease.
Stem cell therapy is acknowledged as one of the most remarkable and latest treatments for MND. Various pathogenic pathways could be aimed with this therapy to slow disease progression. Stem cell therapy has the ability to provide immunomodulatory support, potentially allowing for motor neuron regeneration. Many preclinical models have supported the use of stem cell therapy to control the progression of ALS.
The core idea behind using stem cells to treat ALS is to use them to regenerate motor neurons that had been lost as the disease progressed. Furthermore, transplanted cells act as a support system by secreting neurotrophic factors and boosting the motor microenvironment of neurons, slowing disease progression.
Lately, many studies have shown positive effects of stem cells in the treatment of ALS. Although the administration of SCs into the CNS presents numerous challenges. Multiple injections are required to deliver therapeutic doses to target upper motor neurons, lower motor neurons, or the spinal cord, which increases the risk of adverse events. A prudent risk-to-benefit review is necessary, especially for interventions addressing the brain. Furthermore, selecting the proper injection route is essential. Many studies have found SC intrathecal injections to be safe and effective.
There are many such patients, who are suffering from the deadly diseases but are not aware of the possible stem cell treatment options, the science has offered them! Doctors are suggesting that stem cell treatment can do well to ALS patients, although not recovering them completely. Stem cells are the building blocks of our body; they are the cells, which can potentially differentiate into different cells types. They lay dormant throughout the life of an individual and come in the picture at the time of crisis. ALS is the motor neuron disease, wherein neurons; your body’s messengers are damaged horribly not allowing your brain to communicate with other organs and muscles. This leads to an awful effect of ALS, wherein the person is not able to utilize his muscles!
However, stem cells isolated from your own bone marrow or adipose tissues can be effective in slowing down the neuronal damage or at times they can also help in regeneration of new neurons. Thus with the help of stem cell treatment, it is possible to slow down the progression of the disease, if not cure it completely.
In a study conducted by Ammar et al. (2021), 6 clinical trials were analyzed for their efficacy in ALS patients. Stem cell therapy for ALS had a beneficial impact on slowing the progression of the disease in all of the studies that were conducted. Out of which 3 studies that used bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) found a significant reduction in disease progression. The results of these studies have shown that stem cell therapy, notably, intrathecal administration of MSCs indicated a benefit in preventing the development of ALS/MND.
From the variety of data and results displayed on the internet, I could understand that there is lot more to do with the help of stem cells, maybe one fine day we can see the deadly diseases like ALS are completely cured with them; however as of now, this autologous stem cell treatment can surely be beneficial to someone in soothing the pain and slowing down the progression.
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Early clinical trials have made significant strides in determining the safety of SC therapy in the treatment of ALS. Articulating the treatment efficacy is absolutely essential, which includes determining who will benefit the most from such therapy and whether it is only available in the early stages of the disease. Due to the condition’s heterogeneity, future studies should subdivide their patients into multiple disease variants based on their assessment. The latest evidence on stem cell therapy for ALS shows great promise, but larger, better-designed clinical trials are required to truly validate its benefit.
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