Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS are very devastating and have little treatment options. In early 2012 we were approached to treat Frank Orgel, a patient diagnosed with ALS. There had been only limited work with the use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of conditions such as ALS. The initial concern was that neural conditions would need neural stem cells. Neural stem cells can be difficult to obtain. This led us to use a new technique involving reprogramming of the stem cells. We first treated Frank, unsure if he would receive any benefits. To our surprise, he began getting movement in his leg and his fasciculations significantly improved. This seemed like a big step in ALS therapy. We have since treated several other patients, with most seeing modest improvement in their condition. This is certainly not a cure, but it has led us in the direction to improve treatment for ALS. We believe this same technique may translate into therapy for other conditions such as Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. Please see our research section for further insight into the therapies being developed for neurodegenerative diseases.

Nerve injury / Paralysis

For many years it has been theorized that stem cells may hold the answer to treating nerve and cord injuries, resulting in paralysis. We felt that neural reprogramming of mesenchymal stem cells could increase the number of stem cells that can be delivered and improve the chances of obtaining a positive response. We have limited experience with the treatment of 2 patients with spinal cord injury resulting in slight gain in movement. These cases are still early and nerves take a long time to regrow. This is a good initial start and hopefully this therapy can develop enough to allow these patients to gain enough use to improve their overall function.