Autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A pilot study

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no effective treatment. Stem cell therapy may be one of the promising treatment options for such patients. Aim: To assess the feasibility, efficacy and safety of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells in patients of ALS. Settings and Design: We conducted an open-label pilot study of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells in patients with ALS attending the Neurology Clinic of a tertiary care referral centre. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with ALS with mean revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) score of 30.2 (+/- 10.58) at baseline received intrathecal autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells. Primary end point was improvement in the ALSFRS-R score at 90, 180, 270 and 365 days post therapy. Secondary endpoints included ALSFRS-R subscores, time to 4-point deterioration, median survival and reported adverse events. Paired t-test was used to compare changes in ALSFRS-R from baseline and Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival calculations. Results: There was no significant deterioration in ALSFRS-R composite score from baseline at one-year follow-up (P=0.090). The median survival post procedure was 18.0 months and median time to 4-point deterioration was 16.7 months. No significant adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell therapy is safe and feasible in patients of ALS. Short-term follow-up of ALSFRS-R scores suggests a trend towards stabilization of disease. However, the benefit needs to be confirmed in the long-term follow-up period.