MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe
Symptoms progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict
MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time
MND affects most people between the ages of 50 and 70
Research into stem cell therapy is at an early stage - however, its use for ALS may eventually be possible.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) describes a group of diseases that affect the nerves (motor neurones) in the brain and spinal cord that tell your muscles what to do. With MND, messages from these nerves gradually stop reaching the muscles, leading them to weaken, stiffen and waste.
MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Some people also experience changes to their thinking and behaviour. However, MND affects everyone differently. Not all symptoms will affect everyone, or in the same order. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict.
MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life.
MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time with, on average, six people per day diagnosed with MND in the UK. *
MND can affect any adult at any age but most people diagnosed with the disease are over the age of 40, with the highest incidence occurring between the ages of 50 and 70 and a third of people die within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis.
Research Into Stem Cell Treatment
However the Motor Neuron Disease Association has indicated their belief in the positive potential that stem cells may hold for future therapy, however they recognise that research into stem cell therapy is at an extremely early stage.
One area that is being explored relates to the difficulty in obtaining human motor neurones for study or to grow motor neurones from animal models of MND. Scientists are now learning how to encourage stem cells to develop into living motor neurones in the laboratory, providing a unique resource for MND research.
Professor Chris Shaw from King’s commented that: ‘This is a hugely exciting development. We can use these cells to identify fundamental disease mechanisms and start the search for drugs that can reverse the disease process.’
Whilst Dr Brian Dickie, Director of Research and Development for the MND Association said: ‘This advance is a significant milestone on the road to developing a laboratory model of MND that faithfully reflects the cellular events happening in the patient.
‘It is also a testament to the importance of international collaboration, with eminent scientists from leading institutions around the world focused on the common goal of understanding and, ultimately, defeating this devastating disease.’
Protect Their Future Health
If you want more information on how you could bank your children’s baby teeth for potential future therapeutic use, have a chat to one of our team or download our guide to stem cell banking.
To keep up to date with the latest developments in stem cell therapy and the treatment of heart disease, make sure to check back regularly to our blog.
