Stem Cell Tests on ALS
At Emory University in Atlanta two weeks ago, stem cells were injected into the upper spinal cord of a patient, Richard Grosjean, for the first time as part of a clinical trial. The 50-year old Grosjean received stem cell injections in his neck as a new experimental treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), widely known as Lou Gehrig's disease. According to reports, the clinical trial at Emory is being used to test the safety of injecting stem cells into the spinal cords of patients suffering from ALS. Mr. Grosjean was diagnosed with ALS more than two years ago. The majority of ALS sufferers die from respiratory failure within five years of being diagnosed.
ALS is a late-onset motor neurone disease that affects approximately 1 in 50,000 people. Grosjean's procedure took over 4 hours and consisted of five separate injections into the cervical region of the spine. Each injection consisted of more than 100,000 individual stem cells.
The current clinical study in stem cell therapy began in January 2010 and is classified as a phase I trial designed to assess the safety of the transplantation method. The first 12 patients in the trial have already received stem cell therapy in the lumbar region of the spine, and now the trial has advanced to the final 6 patients, with all 6 slated to receive injections in the cervical region of the spine.
This trial, as well as other similar clinical research, is controversial primarily because it utilizes material from human embryos, which are destroyed after use. Many in the medical community believe that once more tangible results have been gleaned from this stem cell research, the controversy surrounding it will ease as well.
ALS is a late-onset motor neurone disease that affects approximately 1 in 50,000 people. Grosjean's procedure took over 4 hours and consisted of five separate injections into the cervical region of the spine. Each injection consisted of more than 100,000 individual stem cells.
The current clinical study in stem cell therapy began in January 2010 and is classified as a phase I trial designed to assess the safety of the transplantation method. The first 12 patients in the trial have already received stem cell therapy in the lumbar region of the spine, and now the trial has advanced to the final 6 patients, with all 6 slated to receive injections in the cervical region of the spine.
This trial, as well as other similar clinical research, is controversial primarily because it utilizes material from human embryos, which are destroyed after use. Many in the medical community believe that once more tangible results have been gleaned from this stem cell research, the controversy surrounding it will ease as well.
Posted by IRMO at 12/12/2011 8:30 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: stem cell therapy stem cell research stem cell treatment
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: stem cell therapy stem cell research stem cell treatment
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