Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (19): 4083-4090.doi: 10.12307/2025.054

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Stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: cell source, number, modification, and administration route

Zhao Wen1, Bi Yulin1, Fu Xuyang1, Duan Hongmei1, Yang Zhaoyang1, Li Xiaoguang1, 2   

  1. 1Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; 2Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2024-01-18 Accepted:2024-04-11 Online:2025-07-08 Published:2024-09-13
  • Contact: Li Xiaoguang, MD, Professor, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
  • About author:Zhao Wen, Master, Technician-in-charge, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China. Bi Yulin, Master candidate, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China. Zhao Wen and Bi Yulin contributed equally to this article.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82271403 (to LXG); National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82272171 (to YZY); Beijing Natural Science Foundation, No. 7222004 (to DHM)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the continuous advancement of medical technology, stem cell therapy has been used to treat a variety of diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress of stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prospect the development trend of this field.
METHODS: PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WanFang Data were searched for articles published from 1995 to 2024 using the key words “amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem/progenitor cells, pluripotent stem cells.” A total of more than 1 700 articles were retrieved, and 58 articles were finally included in this review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that affects lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord and upper motor neurons in the motor cortex. The related research of stem cells in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has become a research hotspot. In this review, we summarize the application of different types of stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research, including mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem progenitor cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells, and evaluate the key points of preclinical research such as stem cell source, cell volume, stem cell modification methods, and drug delivery routes, which lays the foundation for the future application of stem cell therapy. 

Key words: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, mesenchymal stem cell, neural stem/progenitor cell, induced pluripotent stem cell, neurodegenerative disease

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