ALS cell therapy is not dangerous

Stem cells are safe for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

UPI news: Stem cells deemed safe for ALS patients

The study, which involved 15 people suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, proved the safety of stem cell therapy for patients. Most of the participants in the experiment underwent injections of stem cells into the spinal cord without any serious side effects - they occurred in only two patients.

The experiment involved people whose symptoms appeared about two years ago. Each of them received from 10 to 40 injections of neural stem cells. The cells were taken from an eight-week-old embryo, whose tissues were donated for research purposes.

The patients were monitored for nine months: one of the patients developed edema after the injection and his health worsened. Another experienced severe pain for a month after the procedure, the causes of which could not be determined.

Scientists from Emory University believe that all this indicates that stem cell therapy can be used to treat patients suffering from this disease.

In patients, motor neurons atrophy, which leads to muscle atrophy and paralysis. Most patients die 3-5 years after the onset of the first symptoms of the disease. Currently, there is no way to combat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Now that the safety of stem cell therapy has been confirmed, researchers will have to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment method. However, some experts emphasize that nothing is yet known about the delayed effect of such therapy.

The authors explain that the substances secreted by stem cells, which will be injected into the spinal cord of patients, will be able to protect existing neurons and the connections between them. This will preserve the functionality of nerve cells and slow down muscle atrophy.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  01.07.2016