What is ALS?

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurological disorder which is mainly related to nerve cells. Our neurons are responsible for muscle movements, like chewing, talking or breathing, just to name a few. It is a severity disease which means it will be increasing over the course of time. The word Amyotrophic is a Greek word where “A” is no, “myo” stands for muscles and “trophic” which means nourishment. Until now there is no known cure for the disease, but stem cells are being used as its new ray of hope.

Who is affected by ALS?

It is reported that every day, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS — more than 5,600 people per year. Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, although the disease can occur at a younger age. It occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries.

Causes of ALS

The causes of ALS are not known, but a study in 1993 showed that the patient’s body produced Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) which was associated with some cases of ALS. The primary cause can be considered as genetics, many scientists in their study have found out that the mutant SOD1 can become toxic. Even the environmental factors such as diet, infection agents, and viruses can also be the causes.

There are no single tests that can detect ALS. The physician has to review the medical history and then conduct neurological examinations periodically to check whether the symptoms are getting worse or not. The primary diagnosis is made by observing the signs and symptoms by the physician after running a series of tests. These tests can be electromyography (EMG) wherein the electrical ability of the muscle fibres is checked through special recordings. Then there is Nerves Conduction Study (NCS), this test is done on the nerves. The doctor may also refer to Magnetic Resonance Test (MRI) including a set of laboratory tests such as urine and blood tests.

Symptoms of ALS

At first, symptoms of ALS tend to be overlooked but as the time passes they become more severe and progressively turn to atrophy. The early symptoms can be muscle twitches in arms, legs or tongue, muscle cramps, difficulty in chewing or swallowing, stiff and tight muscles. Many people who are affected by ALS have observed that the first sign has been seen in arm or hands; they are unable to do regular chores such as writing, opening a lock with the key, or putting the buttons of their shirts, hence why quite often one cannot say precisely where or when they got the first sign or symptom.

The causes of ALS are not known, but a study in 1993 showed that the patient’s body produced Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) which was associated with some cases of ALS. The primary cause can be considered as genetics, many scientists in the there study have found out that the mutant SOD1 can become toxic. Even the environmental factors such as diet, infection agents, and viruses can also be the causes.

There are no single tests that can detect ALS. The physician has to review the medical history and then conduct neurological examinations periodically to check whether the symptoms are getting worse or not. The primary diagnosis is made by observing the signs and symptoms by the physician after running a series of tests. These tests can be electromyography (EMG) wherein the electrical ability of the muscle fibers is checked through special recordings. Then there is Nerves Conduction Study (NCS) and this test is done on the nerves. The doctor may also refer to Magnetic Resonance Test (MRI) including a set of laboratory tests such as urine and blood tests.

Stem cells are the set of undifferentiated biological cells that can be changed into specialized cells and they can even be divided to get more stem cells. The sources for these stem cells can be embryos that are formed during blastocyst phase, and secondly the also adult tissues. These adult cells can be found throughout the human body, and they have the ability to multiply and grow on their own, but they grow only when there is a tissue injury, or when they are activated by any disease, otherwise they remain in a non-divisible state throughout their lives.

These cells are majorly found in the brain, blood, blood vessels, skin, and bone marrow. The blastocyst and embryos are found when the human is developing inside the womb. These days’ people have started preserving the umbilical cords of their new born babies. The reason behind this storage is that this cord consists of a large number of stem cells which can be beneficial for any future mishaps. However, this cord is only accepted for preservation when tests such as HIV I&II, CMV, HCV, IgG/IgM, syphilis IgG/IgM antibodies and Hepatitis B surface antigen hold negative. And it should be free from fungal and bacterial contamination. Modern science sees a lot of potential in stem cells, there are no limits to the number of diseases that can be treated with stem cells, such as cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and many more.

ALS stem cell therapy uses mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)

MSC´s have plasticity properties and the ability to provide growth factors which modulate the immune system.

The transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) leads to the increase in the survival of neurons as these cells are known to produce proteins that are helpful in the growth and survival of new-developing and mature neurons. Moreover, the idea of replacing the dying neurons with new stems cells is now more realistic, feasible and appealing. Patients who have been treated with stem cells have shown improvements in coordination, balance, speech, swallowing and few other areas as well.

The supportive therapies included in our ALS programs are:

• The stem cell repair mode stimulators: rejuvenation peptide injections

• Self-administration enzyme therapy for 30 days
• Customized nutrition packages based on your blood tests
• Tissue laser therapy
• Oxygen therapy

ALS stem cell therapy: potential results

Hundreds of ALS patients around the world continue to see the incredible results of stem cells as part of their treatment regimen. Stem cell therapy has effectively been seen to slow down the progression of the illness, and to give patients, a better quality of life, one that they deserve.