Lou Gehrig’s Disease treatment on the horizon? Engineered stem cells could be the key

May 29, 2013

New research out of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, published in the Nature journal Molecular Therapy, holds some promise for future treatments for people afflicted with the disease. Scientists took adult human stem cells, purified from bone marrow, and modified them to produce growth factors that encourage the regrowth of new nerve cells. These engineered stem cells were then implanted directly into the muscle of rats, which had been genetically engineered to have symptoms of ALS and are commonly used in ALS research. (Medical Daily)