Treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is extremely debilitating. This disease is known to have a profound effect on the nerve cells in the brain and spine. This debilitating disease is characterized by muscle weakness and wasting.
ALS eventually leads to paralysis in patients, which is followed by death. Around 80% of people who are diagnosed with ALS generally suffer from this disease between two years and five years from the date of diagnosis to the day of their passing.
Cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are about 20% more common in males than in females.
The most common type of ALS diagnosed in patients is called sporadic ALS. This essentially means that the disease has the ability to affect any person, regardless of their age, ethnicity, or gender. However, the majority of people diagnosed with this disease are between the ages of 40 and 70 years.
The second most common type of ALS is familial ALS. Familial ALS accounts for approximately 10% of patients diagnosed. This confirms that the disease has the ability to be passed down from a parent to their child.
In all total cases, whether familial or sporadic, approximately 30% of all patients who suffer from this condition have what is referred to as bulbar ALS. This essentially means that the muscles in the face, head, and neck generally become paralyzed before the muscles in other parts of the body.
How Many People Have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
Statistics surrounding ALS in the United States show that approximately 18,000 people suffer from this disease at any given time. About 2 out of every 100,000 people are diagnosed annually with this disease in our country, or approximately 5,000 people each year. Across the globe, around 200,000 people have been diagnosed with ALS.
What are the Symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
Patients who suffer from ALS experience a range of symptoms that affect their spinal cord, brain, and muscles. The symptoms that a patient experiences can vary greatly from person to person. The symptoms will generally depend upon which neurons are affected by the disease.
In most cases, patients will begin by experiencing muscle weakness that gradually spreads and worsens over time. Some of the most common symptoms observed in patients include:
- Cognitive changes
- Behavioral changes
- Inappropriate laughing
- Inappropriate crying
- Inappropriate yawning
- Problems walking
- Problems performing normal daily activities
- Increased falling and tripping
- Leg, ankle, and feet weakness
- Hand weakness
- Clumsiness in the hands
- Problems swallowing
- Speech problems, such as the slurring of words
- Muscle cramping and twitching, which can affect the tongue, arms, and shoulders
The symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often begin in the feet, hands, and limbs. They then continue to spread to various parts of the body. As the disease progresses in severity, the nerve cells are destroyed, and the muscles get weaker. Eventually, patients experience problems chewing, speaking, swallowing, and even breathing.
Reports show that there is no pain associated with the early stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pain is also uncommon in later stages. People who suffer from ALS often do not experience any problems with their senses or bladder control.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. However, there are various treatment options available to help alleviate some of the signs and symptoms associated with this condition.
What Treatment Options are Available for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
There are currently three medications that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat ALS in the United States. These medications include:
- Riluzole (Exservan, Rilutek, Tiglutik kit): These medications are taken orally by patients. They are effective in increasing the life expectancy of patients between three and six months.
- Edaravone (Radicava): This type of medication can be injected or taken orally by patients. It is effective in reducing the decline in daily functioning among patients. Whether this medication has any impact on the life expectancy of a patient is not yet known.
- Sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol (Relyvrio): This type of medication was recently approved for patients who suffer from It is designed to decrease the rate of decline in patients who suffer from ALS. In some cases, it helps people continue to perform daily tasks. It may also improve the longevity of a patient’s life. However, more studies are needed to fully determine its impact.
In addition to these condition-specific medications, doctors may prescribe medications to help treat some of the other symptoms that patients experience. These include medications to help with:
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Muscle cramps or spasms
- Pain
- Depression
- Excessive saliva and/or phlegm
- Uncontrolled outbursts of crying or laughing
- Sleep problems
In addition to medications, patients may have to go through various types of therapy. Common therapies that patients undergo include:
- Speech therapy
- Physical therapy
- Breathing care
- Occupational therapy
Patients may also require nutritional support and psychological and social support. Unfortunately, there is no cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, scientists have recently considered the use of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to provide considerable relief for patients who suffer from this condition.
What are Umbilical Cord Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells?
Umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells (UCT-MSCs) are a type of adult stem cell that can be isolated from the tissues in the umbilical cord. UCT-MSCs have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into a variety of cell types, allowing them to calm inflammation and provide various benefits when it comes to regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. These cells include neurons, chondrocytes, osteocytes, hepatocytes, and adipocytes.
UCT-MSCs are currently being tested in clinical trials for their safety and efficacy in humans. If proven safe and effective, UCT-MSCs could potentially be used to treat a variety of diseases, such as ALS.
In recent years, scientists have utilized umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in patients during preclinical trials. The results thus far have proven effective, paving the way for a potentially effective treatment for this debilitating condition.
Studies Surrounding the use of UCT-MSCs for Treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Several other clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the safety and efficacy of UCT-MSC transplantation in people with ALS. Various studies have already been conducted surrounding the use of mesenchymal stem cells, demonstrating that they may offer an improvement of the condition of people who suffer from ALS by differentiating into specific cell types that are impacted by the disease. Studies have already effectively demonstrated that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can delay the onset and progression of this disease, increasing the lifespan of patients who suffer from it.
In 2020, a team of scientists published a report about a study on the use of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to treat patients with ALS. This study included a total of 67 patients who were treated with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells that were isolated out of Wharton’s jelly.
The patient received three intrathecal injections of the mesenchymal stem cells every two months. An ALSFRS-R (ALS functional rating score) scale was used to assess the patients. The risk-to-benefit ratios were more favorable in all of the groups that underwent the study. The results of the study concluded that the median survival rate increased nearly twofold in all groups. Approximately 31 percent experienced a decrease in the progression rate of the disease.
A study about the use of UCT-MSCs to treat people who suffer from ALS was also published in October 2022. This was a double-blind study with a placebo-controlled group. All of the patients had a revised ALSFRS-R of greater than 25 prior to the randomization. Patients were administered three treatments of either the stem cells or the placebo.
At the end of the study, scientists noted significant improvements in the cerebrospinal biomarkers of neurotrophic factor, neural inflammation, and neurodegeneration. The placebo group showed no improvement. Even though this study produced major positive results, further studies need to be performed in order to determine the overall impact that umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells have on the patients who suffer from this disease.
In 2020, a group of scientists published a study surrounding the use of intramuscular transplantations of human umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells and the effect that they have on improving motor function in the survival of mouse models that suffer from ALS. This study found that the UC-MSCs were effective in treating TGF-β1 induced muscle atrophy in the subjects.
Overall, umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cell therapy provides a promising treatment option for ALS patients who are looking to improve their quality of life. The results from the clinical trials so far have shown great promise, and further research is needed in order to determine the long-term effectiveness of this particular method.
Evidence strongly suggests that umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells could potentially revolutionize our approach to treating ALS. It is clear that this form of stem cell therapy has an immense amount of potential for this and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders.
Take the first step toward a healthier future. Contact Cellebration Wellness at 1.800.601.8290 to learn how stem cell therapy can benefit you.
