Motor Neurone Disease

Motor Neurone Disease (MND; also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS) is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Current therapies focus on relieving symptoms to improve individuals’ quality of life, as there are currently no treatments which can stop disease progression. Currently, researchers are using stem cells to develop ‘models’ of MND in the lab. These models can be used to investigate what causes damage to the neural cells, and so how it might be prevented. It also allows new therapies to be tested in the lab. Researchers are also investigating whether stem cells might be used to support the survival and repair of damaged neural cells.