Current Developments in Stem Cell Therapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease, is described by the degeneration ofboth upper and lower motor neurons, which cause to muscle weakness and eventual paralysis. There arecurrently no clinically significant treatments for this disorder. Death occurs around 3–5 years from onset, usuallydue to respiratory failure. ALS pathogenesis seems to entangle several pathological mechanisms such asoxidative stress, inflammation, and loss of the glial neurotrophic support, glutamate toxicity with differentcontributions from environmental and genetic factors. This complexity of disease highlights the concept that aneffective therapeutic approach should comprise simultaneously different aspects: one of the main strategies forpreserve or rescue motor neuron function and modulate toxicity in the central nervous system (CNS) at the sametime include stem cell therapies, and therefore, representing an inclusive therapeutic approach for ALS. There areseveral challenges to achieve an efficient cell-mediated therapy appropriate for clinical applications that must beconsidered, including the identification of the most performing cell source, a reliable protocol, and the definitionof therapeutic mechanisms. Here, we review the recent developments respecting the therapeutic potential of stemcells for ALS with an emphasis on the minimally invasive strategies that could expedite an extensive translationto their clinical application.

کلیدواژه ها:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) ، Oxidative stress ، Inflammation ، Glutamate toxicity ، Motorneuron disease ، Stem cell therapy