Stem Cell Update

Today (10/12/2010), Geron began a Phase-I clinical trial using embryonic stem cells to treat spinal cord injury. While not directly applicable to ALS, a successful safety trial should open up approvals for similar subsequent trials utilizing human embryonic stem cells. Already there is favorable preliminary information coming from the Neuralstem trial (which uses fetal neural precursors, not embryonic stem cells) and several more are in the approval pipeline. Meanwhile, in Israel, Brainstorm received approval to begin its trial for ALS. As discussed previously, Brainstorm engineers autologous cells to secrete neural growth factors and then implants them in muscle to promote axonal growth and nourish the cell body via axonal uptake. It's a novel approach which doesn't require risky surgery. These are just a few very interesting things going on in research and clinical trials. But keep in mind that they are happening now.