90% Of ALS Patients Respond To Stem Cell Treatment Developed By Hadassah, BrainStorm Cell

January 15, 2016 | A new ALS treatment utilizing a stem cell infusion protocol performed at Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) and developed by the US/Israeli biotech company BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has significantly slowed the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). “In the clinical trial of intrathecal infusion of stem cells there were no major adverse effects, and close to 90% of patients showed slowing in the progression of disease, as measured by their respiratory function or their general motor disability” said Principal Investigator Dr. Dimitrios Karussis, MD, PhD, Sr. Neurologist, Head of Multiple Sclerosis Center at HMO. These clinical trials, which began in 2011, utilized an innovative adult stem cell self-transplantation treatment involving the harvesting of stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow, their culture and enhancement using Brainstorm’s patented protocol NurOwn® and their injection into the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid by a technique that was developed and proposed by the Hadassah investigators. A Phase 2, double blind, study is running currently, at Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, using a treatment protocol identical to the aforementioned trial.