Fighting ALS/MND Against All Odds
Everyone is familiar with the trending ALS awareness campaign known as the “ice bucket challenge” that went viral on social media in 2015. Do we, however, truly understand the severity and lethality of Motor Neuron Disease? A neurological condition known as ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is extremely uncommon. The word “amyotrophic” can be segmented into the letters “A” for “no,” “myo” for “muscle,” and “trophic” for “nutrition,” which together imply “no muscle nourishment.”
The spine and muscles are both linked to motor neurons in the brain. When muscles move voluntarily, the brain issues the order. These motor neurons will gradually deteriorate in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), causing the brain and muscles to become disconnected. The outcome is that the muscles eventually become weaker. In reality, the list of difficulties doesn’t end once you’ve received a diagnosis. Over time, it only worsens to the point where one is totally reliant on a wheelchair and a caregiver.
Simple bodily processes including speaking, breathing, swallowing, and moving the hands and legs become disabled. The onset is between the ages of 40 and 50; after diagnosis, the survival rate is 2 to 5 years. You might feel paralysed and you lose your independence. Most ALS patients rely on ventilators to breathe, and respiratory problems are relatively prevalent. They can also lose the ability to speak.
Hope for Stem Cell Therapy
Although several drugs have been demonstrated to lengthen patient lives by reducing these symptoms, there was previously no effective treatment. Rilutor, a medication, is frequently used in conjunction with wheelchairs, orthotics, speech synthesisers, and other assistive devices to help users break their dependence.
Yes, stem cell therapy is becoming a possible treatment option for fighting Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in light of current medical advancements.
With stem cell therapy, you can slow the disease’s progression and stop any additional harm. It follows that life expectancy will rise. Although it won’t reverse the illness, there is unquestionably an improvement in motor skills like breathing, speaking, hand movements, and muscle strength. For a person with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, this is a significant accomplishment. Patients will grow more independent in carrying out daily tasks and be able to express themselves better. It is crucial to remember that many treatments for this seriously ill disease have side effects that further harm the patient. Although the degree to which stem cells aid in healing varies from person to person, it is risk-free and without any adverse effects.
A different approach for using human stem cells in MND is to transplant cells that can help the surviving motor neurons survive and function, as well as alter the environment to which they are subjected. In doing so, researchers hope to shield motor pathways from additional harm and prolong their survival, which will ultimately decrease MND’s clinical progression. Additionally, the mesenchymal stem cells from the patient’s own bone marrow can be altered to increase the number of neurotrophic factors, which are known to support and shield neurons that are destroyed in MND, improving the patient’s capacity to move and communicate.
