Editorial
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Dec 26, 2012; 4(12): 117-119
Published online Dec 26, 2012. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v4.i12.117
Cultivating stem cells for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Shengwen Calvin Li, Hong Zhen Yin, William G Loudon, John H Weiss
Shengwen Calvin Li, William G Loudon, CHOC Children’s Hospital, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, United States
Shengwen Calvin Li, Hong Zhen Yin, John H Weiss, Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA 92862, United States
William G Loudon, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA 92862, United States
Author contributions: Li SC drafted the manuscript; Li SC, Yin HZ, Loudon WG and Weiss JH revised and approved the final paper.
Supported by The CHOC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, CHOC Children’s Foundation; CHOC Neuroscience Institute, the Austin Ford Tribute Fund; and the WM Keck Foundation, NIH NS30884 and AG00836
Correspondence to: Shengwen Calvin Li, PhD, CHOC Children’s Hospital, 455 South Main Street, Orange, CA 92868, United States. shengwel@uci.edu
Telephone: +1-714-2894964 Fax: +1-714-5164318
Received: June 4, 2012
Revised: September 17, 2012
Accepted: December 20, 2012
Published online: December 26, 2012
Abstract

This editorial addresses the current challenges and future directions in the use of stem cells as an approach for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A wide variety of literature has been reviewed to enlighten the reader on the many facets of stem cell research that are important to consider before using them for a cell based therapy.

Keywords: Stem cell therapy; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis