Stem cells could help treat ALS
U-M to oversee clinical trial on 12 patients in Atlanta
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
A leading neurologist at the University of Michigan will oversee a federally approved clinical trial involving stem cells that researchers hope will hold a key to slowing the progression of Lou Gehrig's disease.
New cases of the fatal, neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are diagnosed in 5,600 Americans annually. Patients with the disease, which ultimately leads to paralysis and the inability to speak or move, have a three- to five-year life expectancy.
The U-M clinical trial, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, centers on injecting stem cells into the spines of patients with the disease, with the first step determining safety.
"This is not a cure," said Dr. Eva Feldman, the trial's principal investigator, the Russell N. DeJong professor of neurology, and director of the Neuropathy Center at U-M Health System in Ann Arbor. "It's a first step, but a very important step.
Continues...
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090922/LIFESTYLE03/909220355/1040/lifestyle03/Stem-cells-could-help-treat-ALS
U-M to oversee clinical trial on 12 patients in Atlanta
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
A leading neurologist at the University of Michigan will oversee a federally approved clinical trial involving stem cells that researchers hope will hold a key to slowing the progression of Lou Gehrig's disease.
New cases of the fatal, neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are diagnosed in 5,600 Americans annually. Patients with the disease, which ultimately leads to paralysis and the inability to speak or move, have a three- to five-year life expectancy.
The U-M clinical trial, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, centers on injecting stem cells into the spines of patients with the disease, with the first step determining safety.
"This is not a cure," said Dr. Eva Feldman, the trial's principal investigator, the Russell N. DeJong professor of neurology, and director of the Neuropathy Center at U-M Health System in Ann Arbor. "It's a first step, but a very important step.
Continues...
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090922/LIFESTYLE03/909220355/1040/lifestyle03/Stem-cells-could-help-treat-ALS