Stem Cells for ALS

Researchers from Harvard University and Columbia University reported in <em>Science</em> that induced pluripotent stem cells generated from an 82-year-old woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could be successfully differentiated into motor neurons and glia.¹ The finding someday could be useful for generating genetically matched healthy cells to replace diseased ones, such as damaged motor neurons, in patients with ALS. But as a more immediate application, the induced pluripotent stem cells could provide a better drug-screening tool than models currently used for ALS.

ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder in which motor neuron loss in the spinal cord and motor cortex leads to progressive paralysis and death.² Additionally, glia from ALS animal models have been shown to produce factors that are toxic to motor neurons.³...