![]() ![]() The ALS Association also sponsors pre-clinical studies and pilot clinical trials using stem cell transplant approaches to develop the necessary tools for stem cell transplant studies and to improve methods for safety and efficiency. Several of the “big data” initiatives are collecting skin cells or blood for IPSC generation, such as Genomic Translation for ALS Clinical Care (GTAC), Project MinE, NeuroLINCS and Answer ALS. The Association is supporting an IPSC core at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center providing access to lines for researchers globally. The research portfolio supports innovative projects using IPSCs for drug development and disease modeling. The field of stem cell research is progressing rapidly, and The ALS Association is spearheading work on several critical fronts. Not only does this source of stem cells eliminate ethical concerns, it provides significant advantages as it is now possible to develop disease model systems that are unique for the individual. While early research in stem cell biology focused on embryonic stem cells, increasingly the focus has shifted to IPSCs. They can be isolated from fertilized embryos less than a week old. Embryonic stem cells: Stem cells that form during development.iPSCs have emerged in recent years as by far the most significant source of stem cells for ALS research. Skin cells are treated in a lab dish with a precise cocktail of naturally occurring growth factors that “turns back the clock,” transforming them back into cells like those that gave rise to them – stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): Stem cells can be created from adult skin cells, called fibroblasts.Small numbers of endogenous stem cells are present in many different tissues, such as bone marrow, skin and specific parts of the brain and spinal cord. Endogenous stem cells: Stem cells that are already present in the body.They have emerged as a major tool for research into the causes of ALS, and in the search of new treatments. They can develop into blood, neurons, bone, muscle, skin and other cell types. Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and give rise to multiple specialized cell types. ![]()
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