Using stem cells to treat ALS

Abstract

In their article "Transplantation of spinal cord-derived neural stem cells for ALS: Analysis of phase 1 and 2 trials," Glass et al.1 set out to study a specific question: Is the injection of human spinal cord-derived neural stem cells (HSSC) into a human spinal cord safe? They also wanted to know if this specialized procedure could be safely performed at multiple surgical centers by different surgeons. Small studies like this are important: they often pave the way for larger studies. In addition, before a study can be done to determine whether stem cells can be used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the safety of the treatment must be assessed. Therefore, the results of this study are critical: these results help to decide whether larger studies of stem cells in the treatment of ALS should be done.