Stem Cell Therapy For ALS

At left, Lou Gehrig
By Pacific & Atlantic Photos, Inc - Heritage Auctions, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41470554

Here is a review on the potential of stem cell therapy to reduce disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Abstract:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an unusual, fatal, neurodegenerative disorder leading to the loss of motor neurons. After diagnosis, the average lifespan ranges from 3 to 5 years, and death usually results from respiratory failure. Although the pathogenesis of ALS remains unclear, multiple factors are thought to contribute to the progression of ALS, such as network interactions between genes, environmental exposure, impaired molecular pathways and many others. The neuroprotective properties of neural stem cells (NSCs) and the paracrine signaling of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been examined in multiple pre-clinical trials of ALS with promising results. The data from these initial trials indicate a reduction in the rate of disease progression. The mechanism through which stem cells achieve this reduction is of major interest. Here, we review the to-date pre-clinical and clinical therapeutic approaches employing stem cells, and discuss the most promising ones.

Here is a paper online for free, which contains this informative figure. Essentially, possible mechanisms by which stem cells can improve symptoms of ALS include helping to rebuild or maintain neural circuitry damaged by the disease, facilitate growth of nervous tissue, reduce toxicity of nervous tissue, support functional neuromuscular junctions, and reduce inflammation by modulating the immune response. In theory, these mechanisms could reduce progression of further damage and possibly even reverse some damage that has occurred. All of this is in very early stages, but there seems to be some promising results.