Photo of iPSCs-derived Motor neurons derived from an ALS patient. Credit: Morimoto et al/Cell Stem Cell
By Cell Press – SciTechDaily
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a lethal neurological disorder that progressively results in individuals losing muscle control. Currently, there is no cure, and the primary focus of treatments is to alleviate symptoms and offer supportive care. Early clinical trial findings recently published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, demonstrated that the drug ropinirole, typically used for Parkinson’s disease, is safe for ALS patients and delayed the progression of the disease by an average of 27.9 weeks.
Some patients showed a greater response to the ropinirole treatment than others. Interestingly, the scientists were able to forecast this clinical responsiveness in a lab setting, by utilizing motor neurons derived from the stem cells of the patients.