The Promise and the Reality of Stem-Cell Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Jonathan D. Glass, M.D., is leading a clinical trial testing the safety of using adult stem cells to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that remains untreatable. This trial, along with others like it, is just the beginning of a time-intensive process necessary to determine whether stem-cell treatments are safe and effective, meaning that the benefits—if there prove to be any—outweigh the risks. But even as FDA-approved trials are underway, some people with neurodegenerative disorders are turning to dangerous, unapproved stem-cell treatments out of desperation. Dr. Glass warns that researchers must strictly adhere to the scientific process in order to convert the hope of stem-cell treatments into reality.