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Johnson SA, Fang T, De Marchi F, Neel D, Van Weehaeghe D, Berry JD, Paganoni S. Pharmacotherapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Review of Approved and Upcoming Agents. Drugs 2022; 82:1367-1388. [PMID: 36121612 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-022-01769-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder involving loss of upper and lower motor neurons, with most cases ending in death within 3-5 years of onset. Several molecular and cellular pathways have been identified to cause ALS; however, treatments to stop or reverse disease progression are yet to be found. Riluzole, a neuroprotective agent offering only a modest survival benefit, has long been the sole disease-modifying therapy for ALS. Edaravone, which demonstrated statistically significant slowing of ALS disease progression, is gaining approval in an increasing number of countries since its first approval in 2015. Sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol (PB-TURSO) was conditionally approved in Canada in 2022, having shown significant slowing of disease progression and prolonged survival. Most clinical trials have focused on testing small molecules affecting common cellular pathways in ALS: targeting glutamatergic, apoptotic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress mechanisms among others. More recently, clinical trials utilizing stem cell transplantation and other biologics have emerged. This rich and ever-growing pipeline of investigational products, along with innovative clinical trial designs, collaborative trial networks, and an engaged ALS community', provide renewed hope to finding a cure for ALS. This article reviews existing ALS therapies and the current clinical drug development pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Johnson
- Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge St, Suite 600, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Ton Fang
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Fabiola De Marchi
- Department of Neurology, ALS Centre, Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Novara, Italy
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | | | - Donatienne Van Weehaeghe
- Nuclear Medicine Subdivision, Department of Imaging and Pathology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - James D Berry
- Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge St, Suite 600, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Sabrina Paganoni
- Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge St, Suite 600, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Liu B, Li M, Zhang L, Chen Z, Lu P. Motor neuron replacement therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:1633-1639. [PMID: 35017408 PMCID: PMC8820706 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.332123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a motor neuron degenerative disease that is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease in the United States, Charcot's disease in France, and motor neuron disease in the UK. The loss of motor neurons causes muscle wasting, paralysis, and eventually death, which is commonly related to respiratory failure, within 3-5 years after onset of the disease. Although there are a limited number of drugs approved for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, they have had little success at treating the associated symptoms, and they cannot reverse the course of motor neuron degeneration. Thus, there is still a lack of effective treatment for this debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a very attractive strategy for both basic and clinical researchers, particularly as transplanted stem cells and stem cell-derived neural progenitor/precursor cells can protect endogenous motor neurons and directly replace the lost or dying motor neurons. Stem cell therapies may also be able to re-establish the motor control of voluntary muscles. Here, we review the recent progress in the use of neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We focus on MN progenitor cells derived from fetal central nervous system tissue, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. In our recent studies, we found that transplanted human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neuron progenitors survive well, differentiate into motor neurons, and extend axons into the host white matter, not only in the rostrocaudal direction, but also along motor axon tracts towards the ventral roots in the immunodeficient rat spinal cord. Furthermore, the significant motor axonal extension after neural progenitor cell transplantation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models demonstrates that motor neuron replacement therapy could be a promising therapeutic strategy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, particularly as a variety of stem cell derivatives, including induced pluripotent stem cells, are being considered for clinical trials for various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bochao Liu
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education; Center of Neural Injury and Repair; Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Mo Li
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education; Center of Neural Injury and Repair; Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Lingyan Zhang
- iXCells Biotechnologies USA, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA; Amogene Biotech, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
| | - Zhiguo Chen
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education; Center of Neural Injury and Repair; Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Paul Lu
- Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego; Department of Neurosciences, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Squires A, Hovet S, Li R, Oshinski J, Ho Tse ZT. A body-mounted device for MRI-guided spinal therapy. Int J Med Robot 2021; 17:e2235. [PMID: 33497520 DOI: 10.1002/rcs.2235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with no cure and limited treatment options. Recent studies have shown that delivering cellular therapeutics to the ventral horn of the spinal cord can effectively halt neurodegeneration associated with ALS in small animal models. METHODS We developed a robotic system that assists with MRI-guided percutaneous injections to the spinal cord. The needle positioning robot consists of two linear axes with motorised translational sleds for two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) needle translation and a radial template for 2-DOF discrete rotation. RESULTS The robot's targeting capability, evaluated using phantom models and swine cadavers, showed mean targeting errors of 0.48 and 2.84 mm, respectively. The duration of the targeting procedure is approximately 60 min, with an extra 10 min for each additional injection. CONCLUSIONS The presented robot does not affect imaging quality during MRI-guided procedures, and it enables a simplified workflow for MRI-guided spinal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Squires
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Sierra Hovet
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Rui Li
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - John Oshinski
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zion Tsz Ho Tse
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of York, York, Heslington, UK
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4
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Disease-modifying therapies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuropharmacology 2020; 167:107986. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Rajpoot K. Nanotechnology-based Targeting of Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Promising Tool for Efficient Delivery of Neuromedicines. Curr Drug Targets 2020; 21:819-836. [PMID: 31906836 DOI: 10.2174/1389450121666200106105633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Traditional drug delivery approaches remained ineffective in offering better treatment to various neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). In this context, diverse types of nanocarriers have shown their great potential to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and have emerged as a prominent carrier system in drug delivery. Moreover, nanotechnology-based methods usually involve numerous nanosized carrier platforms, which potentiate the effect of the therapeutic agents in the therapy of NDs especially in diagnosis and drug delivery with negligible side effects. In addition, nanotechnology-based techniques have offered several strategies to cross BBB to intensify the bioavailability of drug moieties in the brain. In the last few years, diverse kinds of nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed by incorporating various biocompatible components (e.g., polysaccharide-based NPs, polymeric NPs, selenium NPs, AuNPs, protein-based NPs, gadolinium NPs, etc.), that showed great therapeutic benefits against NDs. Eventually, this review provides deep insights to explore recent applications of some innovative nanocarriers enclosing active molecules for the efficient treatment of NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Rajpoot
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Bilaspur, 495 009, Chhattisgarh, India
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Mazzini L, Gelati M, Profico DC, Sorarù G, Ferrari D, Copetti M, Muzi G, Ricciolini C, Carletti S, Giorgi C, Spera C, Frondizi D, Masiero S, Stecco A, Cisari C, Bersano E, De Marchi F, Sarnelli MF, Querin G, Cantello R, Petruzzelli F, Maglione A, Zalfa C, Binda E, Visioli A, Trombetta D, Torres B, Bernardini L, Gaiani A, Massara M, Paolucci S, Boulis NM, Vescovi AL. Results from Phase I Clinical Trial with Intraspinal Injection of Neural Stem Cells in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Long-Term Outcome. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:887-897. [PMID: 31104357 PMCID: PMC6708070 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main objective of this phase I trial was to assess the feasibility and safety of microtransplanting human neural stem cell (hNSC) lines into the spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Eighteen patients with a definite diagnosis of ALS received microinjections of hNSCs into the gray matter tracts of the lumbar or cervical spinal cord. Patients were monitored before and after transplantation by clinical, psychological, neuroradiological, and neurophysiological assessment. For up to 60 months after surgery, none of the patients manifested severe adverse effects or increased disease progression because of the treatment. Eleven patients died, and two underwent tracheotomy as a result of the natural history of the disease. We detected a transitory decrease in progression of ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised, starting within the first month after surgery and up to 4 months after transplantation. Our results show that transplantation of hNSC is a safe procedure that causes no major deleterious effects over the short or long term. This study is the first example of medical transplantation of a highly standardized cell drug product, which can be reproducibly and stably expanded ex vivo, comprising hNSC that are not immortalized, and are derived from the forebrain of the same two donors throughout this entire study as well as across future trials. Our experimental design provides benefits in terms of enhancing both intra‐ and interstudy reproducibility and homogeneity. Given the potential therapeutic effects of the hNSCs, our observations support undertaking future phase II clinical studies in which increased cell dosages are studied in larger cohorts of patients. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:887&897
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Mazzini
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | - Maurizio Gelati
- Laboratorio Cellule Staminali, Cell Factory e Biobanca, Terni Hospital, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Advanced Therapies Production Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Daniela Celeste Profico
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Advanced Therapies Production Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Gianni Sorarù
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Daniela Ferrari
- Biotechnology and Bioscience Department Bicocca University, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Copetti
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Biostatistic Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Muzi
- Laboratorio Cellule Staminali, Cell Factory e Biobanca, Terni Hospital, Italy
| | - Claudia Ricciolini
- Laboratorio Cellule Staminali, Cell Factory e Biobanca, Terni Hospital, Italy
| | - Sandro Carletti
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, "Santa Maria" Hospital, Terni, Italy
| | - Cesare Giorgi
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, "Santa Maria" Hospital, Terni, Italy
| | - Cristina Spera
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, "Santa Maria" Hospital, Terni, Italy
| | - Domenico Frondizi
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience, "Santa Maria" Hospital, Terni, Italy
| | - Stefano Masiero
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandro Stecco
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, "Eastern Piedmont" University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Novara
| | - Carlo Cisari
- Department of Physical Therapy, "Eastern Piedmont" University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Novara
| | - Enrica Bersano
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | - Fabiola De Marchi
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | - Maria Francesca Sarnelli
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | - Giorgia Querin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Roberto Cantello
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | - Francesco Petruzzelli
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Annamaria Maglione
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Cristina Zalfa
- Biotechnology and Bioscience Department Bicocca University, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Binda
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Cancer Stem Cells Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Trombetta
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Department of Oncology, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Barbara Torres
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Cytogenetics Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Laura Bernardini
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Cytogenetics Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | | | - Maurilio Massara
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | - Silvia Paolucci
- Eastern Piedmont University, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Dipartimento di Neurologia, Novara
| | | | - Angelo L Vescovi
- Laboratorio Cellule Staminali, Cell Factory e Biobanca, Terni Hospital, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Advanced Therapies Production Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy.,Biotechnology and Bioscience Department Bicocca University, Milan, Italy
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Neuroimaging and clinical trials with stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Present and future perspectives. RADIOLOGIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rxeng.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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8
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Mazzini L, Ferrari D, Andjus PR, Buzanska L, Cantello R, De Marchi F, Gelati M, Giniatullin R, Glover JC, Grilli M, Kozlova EN, Maioli M, Mitrečić D, Pivoriunas A, Sanchez-Pernaute R, Sarnowska A, Vescovi AL. Advances in stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 18:865-881. [PMID: 30025485 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2018.1503248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease that targets motoneurons. Cell-based therapies have generated widespread interest as a potential therapeutic approach but no conclusive results have yet been reported either from pre-clinical or clinical studies. AREAS COVERED This is an integrated review of pre-clinical and clinical studies focused on the development of cell-based therapies for ALS. We analyze the biology of stem cell treatments and results obtained from pre-clinical models of ALS and examine the methods and the results obtained to date from clinical trials. We discuss scientific, clinical, and ethical issues and propose some directions for future studies. EXPERT OPINION While data from individual studies are encouraging, stem-cell-based therapies do not yet represent a satisfactory, reliable clinical option. The field will critically benefit from the introduction of well-designed, randomized and reproducible, powered clinical trials. Comparative studies addressing key issues such as the nature, properties, and number of donor cells, the delivery mode and the selection of proper patient populations that may benefit the most from cell-based therapies are now of the essence. Multidisciplinary networks of experts should be established to empower effective translation of research into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Mazzini
- a ALS Centre Department of Neurology , "Maggiore della Carità" University Hospital Novara , Novara , Italy
| | - Daniela Ferrari
- b Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences , University Milano Bicocca , Milano , Italy
| | - Pavle R Andjus
- c Center for laser microscopy, Faculty of Biology , University of Belgrade , Belgrade , Serbia
| | - Leonora Buzanska
- d Stem Cell Bioengineering Unit , Mossakowski Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences , Warsaw , Poland
| | - Roberto Cantello
- a ALS Centre Department of Neurology , "Maggiore della Carità" University Hospital Novara , Novara , Italy
| | - Fabiola De Marchi
- a ALS Centre Department of Neurology , "Maggiore della Carità" University Hospital Novara , Novara , Italy
| | - Maurizio Gelati
- e Scientific Direction , IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo , Foggia , Italy.,f Cell Factory e biobanca, Fondazione Cellule Staminali , Terni , Italy
| | - Rashid Giniatullin
- g A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland , Neulaniementie 2, Kuopio , FINLAND
| | - Joel C Glover
- h Department of Molecular Medicine , Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo and Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway
| | - Mariagrazia Grilli
- i Department Pharmaceutical Sciences , Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, University of Piemonte Orientale , Novara , Italy
| | - Elena N Kozlova
- j Department of Neuroscience , Uppsala University Biomedical Centre , Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Margherita Maioli
- k Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Developmental Biology and Reprogramming (CEDEBIOR) , University of Sassari, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) , Sassari , Italy
| | - Dinko Mitrečić
- l Laboratory for Stem Cells, Croatian Institute for Brain Research , University of Zagreb School of Medicine , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Augustas Pivoriunas
- m Department of Stem Cell Biology , State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine , Vilnius , Lithuania
| | - Rosario Sanchez-Pernaute
- n Preclinical Research , Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies, Andalusian Health Ministry , Sevilla , Spain
| | - Anna Sarnowska
- d Stem Cell Bioengineering Unit , Mossakowski Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences , Warsaw , Poland
| | - Angelo L Vescovi
- b Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences , University Milano Bicocca , Milano , Italy.,f Cell Factory e biobanca, Fondazione Cellule Staminali , Terni , Italy
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Dwivedi N, Shah J, Mishra V, Tambuwala M, Kesharwani P. Nanoneuromedicine for management of neurodegenerative disorder. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2018.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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10
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Neuroimaging and clinical trials with stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: present and future perspectives. RADIOLOGIA 2019; 61:183-190. [PMID: 30606510 DOI: 10.1016/j.rx.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease with a rapid fatal course. The absence of effective treatments has led to new lines of research, some of which are based on stem cells. Surgical injection into the spinal cord, the most common route of administration of stem cells, has proven safe in trials to test the safety of the procedure. Nevertheless, challenges remain, such as determining the best route of administration or the way of checking the survival of the cells and their interaction with the therapeutic target. To date, the mission of neuroimaging techniques has been to detect lesions and complications in the spine and spinal cord, but neuroimaging also has the potential to supplant histologic study in analyzing the relations between the implanted cells and the therapeutic target, and as biomarkers of the disease, by measuring morphological and functional changes after treatment. These developments would increase the role of radiologists in the clinical management of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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12
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Khairoalsindi OA, Abuzinadah AR. Maximizing the Survival of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients: Current Perspectives. Neurol Res Int 2018; 2018:6534150. [PMID: 30159171 PMCID: PMC6109498 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6534150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to loss of the upper and lower motor neurons. Almost 90% of all cases occur in the sporadic form, with the rest occurring in the familial form. The disease has a poor prognosis, with only two disease-modifying drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The approved drugs for the disease have very limited survival benefits. Edaravone is a new FDA-approved medication that may slow the disease progression by 33% in a selected subgroup of ALS patients. This paper covers the various interventions that may provide survival benefits, such as early diagnosis, medications, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, diet, nutritional supplements, multidisciplinary clinics, and mechanical invasive and noninvasive ventilation. The recent data on masitinib, the role of enteral feeding, gene therapy, and stem cell therapy is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ahmad R. Abuzinadah
- King Abdulaziz University, Internal Medicine Department, Neurology Division, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Intraspinal Transplantation of the Adipose Tissue-Derived Regenerative Cells in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Accordance with the Current Experts' Recommendations: Choosing Optimal Monitoring Tools. Stem Cells Int 2018; 2018:4392017. [PMID: 30158984 PMCID: PMC6109475 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4392017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells (SCs) may constitute a perspective alternative to pharmacological treatment in neurodegenerative diseases. Although the safety of SC transplantation has been widely shown, their clinical efficiency in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still to be proved. It is not only due to a limited number of studies, small treatment groups, and fast but nonlinear disease progression but also due to lack of objective methods able to show subtle clinical changes. Preliminary guidelines for cell therapy have recently been proposed by a group of ALS experts. They combine clinical, neurophysiological, and functional assessment together with monitoring of the cytokine level. Here, we describe a pilot study on transplantation of autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRC) into the spinal cord of the patients with ALS and monitoring of the results in accordance with the current recommendations. To show early and/or subtle changes within the muscles of interest, a wide range of clinical and functional tests were used and compared in order to choose the most sensitive and optimal set. Additionally, an analysis of transplanted ADRC was provided to develop standards ensuring the derivation and verification of adequate quality of transplanted cells and to correlate ADRC properties with clinical outcome.
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Ferrari D, Gelati M, Profico DC, Vescovi AL. Human Fetal Neural Stem Cells for Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment. Results Probl Cell Differ 2018; 66:307-329. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-93485-3_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
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van Es MA, Hardiman O, Chio A, Al-Chalabi A, Pasterkamp RJ, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet 2017; 390:2084-2098. [PMID: 28552366 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31287-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 755] [Impact Index Per Article: 107.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is characterised by the progressive loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This neurodegenerative syndrome shares pathobiological features with frontotemporal dementia and, indeed, many patients show features of both diseases. Many different genes and pathophysiological processes contribute to the disease, and it will be necessary to understand this heterogeneity to find effective treatments. In this Seminar, we discuss clinical and diagnostic approaches as well as scientific advances in the research fields of genetics, disease modelling, biomarkers, and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A van Es
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Ireland
| | - Adriano Chio
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Citta della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London, UK; NIHR Dementia Biomedical Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Abe K. An early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the current significance. Rinsho Shinkeigaku 2017; 57:153-162. [PMID: 28367949 DOI: 10.5692/clinicalneurol.cn-001000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The present review focuses an early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the current significance in comparison to previously known and newly found reports on Japanese ALS. After a preliminary case report of ALS by Masamichi Hirai on 1890, 2 completed reports were simultaneously published within 2 weeks of 1891 by Momojiro Nakamura and Zenjiro Inoue, followed by Eikichi Watanabe's report on 1892. After Shonosuke Hasegawa's and Hiroshi Kawahara's case reports on 1894-1896, Aihiko Sata first reported an autopsy case of ALS on 1897. The great contribution of Kinnosuke Miura was also introduced for the naming and pathogenesis in the early stage of ALS history in Japan during 1893-1911.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Abe
- Department of Neurology, Okayama University Medical School
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Martinez A, Palomo Ruiz MDV, Perez DI, Gil C. Drugs in clinical development for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2017; 26:403-414. [PMID: 28277881 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2017.1302426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron progressive disorder for which no treatment exists to date. However, there are other investigational drugs and therapies currently under clinical development may offer hope in the near future. Areas covered: We have reviewed all the ALS ongoing clinical trials (until November 2016) and collected in Clinicaltrials.gov or EudraCT. We have described them in a comprehensive way and have grouped them in the following sections: biomarkers, biological therapies, cell therapy, drug repurposing and new drugs. Expert opinion: Despite multiple obstacles that explain the absence of effective drugs for the treatment of ALS, joint efforts among patient's associations, public and private sectors have fueled innovative research in this field, resulting in several compounds that are in the late stages of clinical trials. Drug repositioning is also playing an important role, having achieved the approval of some orphan drug applications, in late phases of clinical development. Endaravone has been recently approved in Japan and is pending in USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Martinez
- a IPSBB Unit , Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas-CSIC , Madrid , Spain
| | | | - Daniel I Perez
- a IPSBB Unit , Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas-CSIC , Madrid , Spain
| | - Carmen Gil
- a IPSBB Unit , Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas-CSIC , Madrid , Spain
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Sami N, Rahman S, Kumar V, Zaidi S, Islam A, Ali S, Ahmad F, Hassan MI. Protein aggregation, misfolding and consequential human neurodegenerative diseases. Int J Neurosci 2017; 127:1047-1057. [PMID: 28110595 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2017.1286339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are major components of the biological functions in a cell. Biology demands that a protein must fold into its stable three-dimensional structure to become functional. In an unfavorable cellular environment, protein may get misfolded resulting in its aggregation. These conformational disorders are directly related to the tissue damage resulting in cellular dysfunction giving rise to different diseases. This way, several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson Huntington diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are caused. Misfolding of the protein is prevented by innate molecular chaperones of different classes. It is envisaged that work on this line is likely to translate the knowledge into the development of possible strategies for early diagnosis and efficient management of such related human diseases. The present review deals with the human neurodegenerative diseases caused due to the protein misfolding highlighting pathomechanisms and therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Sami
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Safikur Rahman
- b Department of Medical Biotechnology , Yeungnam University , Gyeongsan , South Korea
| | - Vijay Kumar
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Sobia Zaidi
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Asimul Islam
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Sher Ali
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Faizan Ahmad
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- a Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , New Delhi , India
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Mathis S, Couratier P, Julian A, Corcia P, Le Masson G. Current view and perspectives in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neural Regen Res 2017; 12:181-184. [PMID: 28400790 PMCID: PMC5361492 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.200794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), identified as a distinct clinical entity by Charcot since the end of the nineteenth century, is a devastating and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor neurons in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. Survival of patients with ALS is associated with several factors such as clinical phenotype, age at onset, gender, early presence of respiratory failure, weight loss and treatment with Riluzole (the only disease-modifying drug approved for this disease). Nowadays, there is still no curative treatment for ALS: palliative care and symptomatic treatment are therefore essential components in the management of these patients. Nevertheless, the scientific knowledge in the field of ALS motor neuron degeneration is growing, with the prospect of new treatments. Based on this physiopathological knowledge, several new therapeutic targets are being studied, involving various mechanisms such as excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, RNA metabolism and other attractive concepts. Moreover, it is also important to identify reliable biomarkers that will be essential components for future therapeutic development and study design in ALS. In this review, we present the main recent advances and promising therapeutics and biomarkers in the field of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Mathis
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Muscular Unit and ALS Center, CHU de Bordeaux (groupe hospitalier Pellegrin), Bordeaux cedex, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Department of Neurology, ALS Center, Centre de compétence SLA-fédération Tours-Limoges, CHU de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Adrien Julian
- Department of Neurology, CHU Poitiers, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Philippe Corcia
- Department of Neurology, ALS Center, Centre de compétence SLA-fédération Tours-Limoges, CHU de Tours, Tours cedex 9, France
| | - Gwendal Le Masson
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Muscular Unit and ALS Center, CHU de Bordeaux (groupe hospitalier Pellegrin), Bordeaux cedex, France
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