Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Stem cells offer hope to conquer ALS
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Of all human diseases, it’s hard to think of one crueler than amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS – sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s disease for one of its most famous victims.
The condition strikes during the prime of life, and causes steady degradation of the nerves that control muscle movement. This process continues, unstoppable, sometimes for years. The body deteriorates, while the mind is alert and functioning. There is no cure, and while treatments have improved somewhat in recent years, the diagnosis is a death sentence.
Eva Feldman treats patients with this disease every week and brings the weight of her patients’ stories with her back to the laboratory, where she leads a team of scientists who are trying to understand why ALS happens, and how new treatments can get on the fast track to help patients today and in the future.
Now with Taubman Institute support, they are focusing their efforts on a new initiative: the use of embryonic stem cells in the treatment of ALS. They are pioneering the idea of injecting stem cells into the spinal cord to counteract the destruction of nerve cells in ALS. If the tests are successful, clinical trials may begin within a few years.
This innovative approach has the potential to transform the medical profession’s current approach to ALS therapy.
“The Taubman funding is a true blessing,” Feldman says. “It gives us a fighting chance of curing this horrible disease in our lifetime.”
Research Findings:
