Can stem cell injections delivered directly into a patient's spine lessen the effects of Lou Gehrig's disease?
The University of Michigan Hospital is participating in a ground-breaking clinical trial that is seeking to answer that very question.
The hospital will be involved in the second phase of a clinical trial exploring how stem cell injections work in patients with the deadly degenerative neurological disease commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
For nearly two years, U-M neurologist Eva Feldman has led the first phase of the trial at Emory University. A new approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has paved the way for U-M to become the second site in the trial, pending approval of the U-M Institutional Review Board.
The FDA approval of the second phase was announced today by Neuralstem, the company whose product the trial is testing.
The doses used in the trial include up to 400,000 cells per injection, with a patient receiving a maximum of 40 injections. Doctors are testing whether the injections impact patients’ ALS symptoms or progression.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.