Stu Millheiser Discusses the Potential Benefits of NurOwn™ Stem Cell Therapy
BOSTON, Jul. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels, a charity organization that supports patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
According to Stu Millheiser, stem cell therapy continues to show promise as a potential treatment for ALS. BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. recently announced some optimistic results from its FDA-approved clinical trial of NurOwn™. The study achieved its primary goal, which was to prove NurOwn™ is both safe and tolerable for patients with ALS.
Additionally, most of the study's 14 participants showed significant slowing of ALS progression after three months of treatment. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, progressively kills nerve cells that are responsible for controlling movement. This gradually causes muscle weakness, paralysis, inability to breathe and, eventually, death.
NurOwn™ is a revolutionary stem cell therapy that harvests bone marrow cells from the patient. These cells undergo genetic modification before they are injected back into the patient.
The genetic modification process turns these cells into astrocytes, which are a type of brain cell. Astrocytes secrete molecules called glial-derived neurotropic factors, which protect motor neurons from death.
The study involved testing NurOwn™ on 14 patients with early-stage ALS. For three months, they received astrocytes via injection into the cerebrospinal fluid and muscles. The research team then studied the participants for six months, measuring ALS progression on a monthly basis.
Of these participants, 50 percent showed significant improvement in their ALS Functional Rating Scores, and 67 percent displayed improved forced vital capacity. The ALS Functional Rating Score uses a variety of tests to determine motor function and measure ALS progression, while forced vital capacity evaluates lung function.
The study provided additional evidence of an earlier phase finding that NurOwn™ is safe to use, and it also showed a consistent and promising pattern of efficacy. In particular, the results highlighted a reduction in the progression of ALS, and more important, patients had prolonged stabilization and functional improvements after just one NurOwn™ dosage.
The research team is ready to begin studying the effects of repeated doses to decipher if they will amplify and extend these positive findings. This was the second NurOwn™ study on ALS patients.
If future studies depict the same benefits, it seems likely that NurOwn™ may become a vital treatment option for ALS sufferers. This study was an FDA-approved Phase 2A clinical trial. However, a larger Phase 3 trial is necessary before the FDA can approve NurOwn™ as an ALS treatment.
Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels. Millheiser founded ALS Guardian Angels in 2007 to help patients that are suffering from ALS, formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Millheiser has helped hundreds of people with ALS by providing everything from medical equipment to support for basic living expenses.
Millheiser has been referred to as "a true angel on earth" for his charitable work. He feels a sense of accomplishment by helping those in need. After the viral spreading of the ice bucket challenge during the summer of 2014, Millheiser is hopeful that more people will continue to become aware of ALS and support this truly important cause.
Media Contact: Stuart Millheiser, ALS Guardian Angels, 949-488-9894, info@alsguardianangels.com
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE ALS Guardian Angels
Published July 1, 2015
Copyright © 2015 SYS-CON Media, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
Syndicated stories and blog feeds, all rights reserved by the author.
BOSTON, Jul. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels, a charity organization that supports patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
According to Stu Millheiser, stem cell therapy continues to show promise as a potential treatment for ALS. BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. recently announced some optimistic results from its FDA-approved clinical trial of NurOwn™. The study achieved its primary goal, which was to prove NurOwn™ is both safe and tolerable for patients with ALS.
Additionally, most of the study's 14 participants showed significant slowing of ALS progression after three months of treatment. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, progressively kills nerve cells that are responsible for controlling movement. This gradually causes muscle weakness, paralysis, inability to breathe and, eventually, death.
NurOwn™ is a revolutionary stem cell therapy that harvests bone marrow cells from the patient. These cells undergo genetic modification before they are injected back into the patient.
The genetic modification process turns these cells into astrocytes, which are a type of brain cell. Astrocytes secrete molecules called glial-derived neurotropic factors, which protect motor neurons from death.
The study involved testing NurOwn™ on 14 patients with early-stage ALS. For three months, they received astrocytes via injection into the cerebrospinal fluid and muscles. The research team then studied the participants for six months, measuring ALS progression on a monthly basis.
Of these participants, 50 percent showed significant improvement in their ALS Functional Rating Scores, and 67 percent displayed improved forced vital capacity. The ALS Functional Rating Score uses a variety of tests to determine motor function and measure ALS progression, while forced vital capacity evaluates lung function.
The study provided additional evidence of an earlier phase finding that NurOwn™ is safe to use, and it also showed a consistent and promising pattern of efficacy. In particular, the results highlighted a reduction in the progression of ALS, and more important, patients had prolonged stabilization and functional improvements after just one NurOwn™ dosage.
The research team is ready to begin studying the effects of repeated doses to decipher if they will amplify and extend these positive findings. This was the second NurOwn™ study on ALS patients.
If future studies depict the same benefits, it seems likely that NurOwn™ may become a vital treatment option for ALS sufferers. This study was an FDA-approved Phase 2A clinical trial. However, a larger Phase 3 trial is necessary before the FDA can approve NurOwn™ as an ALS treatment.
Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels. Millheiser founded ALS Guardian Angels in 2007 to help patients that are suffering from ALS, formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Millheiser has helped hundreds of people with ALS by providing everything from medical equipment to support for basic living expenses.
Millheiser has been referred to as "a true angel on earth" for his charitable work. He feels a sense of accomplishment by helping those in need. After the viral spreading of the ice bucket challenge during the summer of 2014, Millheiser is hopeful that more people will continue to become aware of ALS and support this truly important cause.
Media Contact: Stuart Millheiser, ALS Guardian Angels, 949-488-9894, info@alsguardianangels.com
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE ALS Guardian Angels
Published July 1, 2015
Copyright © 2015 SYS-CON Media, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
Syndicated stories and blog feeds, all rights reserved by the author.