Stem Cell Applications in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

H. Özden Şener; Yeşim Parman; İhsan Şengün; Filiz Koç; Piraye Oflazer

H. Özden Şener¹, Yeşim Parman², İhsan Şengün³, Filiz Koç⁴, Piraye Oflazer²

¹Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
²Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
³Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dokuz Eylul, Izmir, Turkey
⁴Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Adana, Turkey

Keywords: Stem cells, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, motor neuron disease.

Abstract

Stem cell application is one of the potential treatment methods for seizing the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and for returning motor function if ever possible. Several different methods of stem cell application have been performed in experimental motor neuron disease models; the beneficial effects of these studies are controversial. There are few stem cell studies on ALS patients reported in the literature. The results of these studies either negative or have serious methodological problems. There is no sufficient laboratory or clinical data for designing a stem cell application trial in ALS patients for today.