ALS Treatment in XCell-Center

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease) currently has no cure. The average life expectancy from the time of diagnosis is two to five years. The XCell-Center's ALS treatment concentrates on reducing symptoms and slowing the chronic consequences of the disease to improve the patient's quality of life.

The treatment protocol consists of three steps: bone marrow collection, laboratory processing and stem cell implantation. Patients receive an injection of stem cells into the cerebrospinal fluid that flows in the spinal canal. This is called intrathecal injection or lumbar puncture. Lumbar puncture is an outpatient procedure that requires patients to remain in Germany four or five nights.

In a pilot study, almost 40% of patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treated with stem cells at the XCell-Center showed improvement.

Bone Marrow Collection

On day one, bone marrow is collected from the patient's hip bone (iliac crest) using a thin-needle mini-puncture. Local anesthesia is used. Although some pain is felt upon needle insertion, most patients do not find the collection procedure painful. The procedure takes about 30 minutes.

After the bone marrow collection is done, patients may return to their hotel and continue with their normal activities.

Laboratory Processing

The following day, the stem cells are separated from the bone marrow in a state-of-the-art, government approved (cGMP) lab. Both the quantity and quality of the stem cells are ascertained. These cells are capable of transforming into multiple types of cells and can repair damaged tissue.

Stem Cell Implantation

On day three, the stem cells are injected into the patient by means of a lumbar puncture.

A spinal needle is inserted between the L4 and L5 vertebrae under local anesthesia. A small amount of spinal fluid is taken. Some of that spinal fluid is mixed together with the stem cell solution that is then re-injected into the patient's spinal fluid. After implantation, the patient rests in the recovery room for a number of hours before going back to his or her hotel room. Generally, the lumbar puncture procedure doesn’t hurt. Patients may return home five days after the lumbar puncture.
Results

The following survey was conducted one to six months after treatment.

• 16 out of 53 patients reported they felt no change in sensation, muscle spasticity, mobility or feeling, or wellbeing following the treatment.
• 19 out of 53 patients reported they felt an overall improvement, with improved mobility (legs, arms) and or/ improved strength, and/or improved breathing. Some patients reported an improvement of balance and/or a regaining of muscle strength, and/or an improvement in sleeping or a reduction of spasms.
• One patient reported a marked improvement, with a strong improvement of mobility, speech, breathing, and swallowing.
• 17 out of 53 patients reported they felt a deterioration of the quality of their life. Most of these patients saw a reduction of strength, mobility, speech/swallowing, or balance. Though the treatment could neither stop nor reverse the progress of ALS symptoms in these cases, it is believed that the treatment did not adversely affect the patients.