Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and stem cell transplantation
The original article in this thread highlights the potential of stem cell transplantation for treatment of the devastating neurological disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in which motor neurons degenerate with ultimately fatal effects. Identifying reliable sources of stem cells is important in this field. Two very recent papers on mouse models have given promising results.
The first study examined the possibilities of reprogramming adult somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and hence isolation of specific neural stem cells (NSC). These cells were transplanted into ALS model mice via intrathecal or intravenous injections and in both cases were found to migrate to the central nervous system from where they induced phenotypic improvements compared to control mice, including improved neuromuscular function and motor unit pathology, as well as increased life span. The mechanism behind the improvement appeared to have multiple elements including increased production of neurotrophic factors and reduction of gliosis with a decrease in astrocyte number via the vanilloid receptor TRPV1.
The other study looked at human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASC) in an SOD1G93A mouse ALS model. Human ASCs were transplanted into these animals and after four weeks the animals were sacrificed. Migration of human ASC to the lumbar spinal cord was confirmed. Similarly to the other study, delay in onset of clinical symptoms and increased life span was observed in mice transplanted with ASC by an ICV route compared to control mice. Again similarly, up-regulation of neurotrophic factors such as NGF, BDNF, IGF-1 and VEGF was observed and this was found to decrease apoptosis in in CNS and ALS spinal cord cells that were cultured subsequently.
Both these studies confirm the potential of stem cell transplantation for ALS therapy and identify potentially useful stem cell sources.
Sources
KIM, K.S. et al., 2013. Transplantation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells delays clinical onset and prolongs life span in ALS mouse model. Cell transplantation
,
NIZZARDO, M. et al., 2013. Minimally invasive transplantation of iPSC-derived ALDHhiSSCloVLA4+ neural stem cells effectively improves the phenotype of an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model. Human molecular genetics
The original article in this thread highlights the potential of stem cell transplantation for treatment of the devastating neurological disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in which motor neurons degenerate with ultimately fatal effects. Identifying reliable sources of stem cells is important in this field. Two very recent papers on mouse models have given promising results.
The first study examined the possibilities of reprogramming adult somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and hence isolation of specific neural stem cells (NSC). These cells were transplanted into ALS model mice via intrathecal or intravenous injections and in both cases were found to migrate to the central nervous system from where they induced phenotypic improvements compared to control mice, including improved neuromuscular function and motor unit pathology, as well as increased life span. The mechanism behind the improvement appeared to have multiple elements including increased production of neurotrophic factors and reduction of gliosis with a decrease in astrocyte number via the vanilloid receptor TRPV1.
The other study looked at human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASC) in an SOD1G93A mouse ALS model. Human ASCs were transplanted into these animals and after four weeks the animals were sacrificed. Migration of human ASC to the lumbar spinal cord was confirmed. Similarly to the other study, delay in onset of clinical symptoms and increased life span was observed in mice transplanted with ASC by an ICV route compared to control mice. Again similarly, up-regulation of neurotrophic factors such as NGF, BDNF, IGF-1 and VEGF was observed and this was found to decrease apoptosis in in CNS and ALS spinal cord cells that were cultured subsequently.
Both these studies confirm the potential of stem cell transplantation for ALS therapy and identify potentially useful stem cell sources.
Sources
KIM, K.S. et al., 2013. Transplantation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells delays clinical onset and prolongs life span in ALS mouse model. Cell transplantation
,
NIZZARDO, M. et al., 2013. Minimally invasive transplantation of iPSC-derived ALDHhiSSCloVLA4+ neural stem cells effectively improves the phenotype of an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model. Human molecular genetics
![[+]](https://www.biotechnologyforums.com/images/netpen-pro/collapse_collapsed.png)