Stem Cell Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of motor neurons, resulting in progressive muscular atrophy (wasting away) and weakness. The clinical spectrum of SMA ranges from early infant death to normal adult life with only mild weakness. These patients often require comprehensive medical care involving multiple disciplines, including pediatric pulmonology, pediatric neurology, pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric critical care, and physical medicine and rehabilitation; and physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, and clinical nutrition.
In all of its forms, the primary feature of SMA is muscle weakness, accompanied by atrophy of muscle. This is the result of denervation or loss of the signal to contract, that is transmitted from the spinal cord. This is normally transmitted from motor neurons in the spinal cord to muscle via the motor neuron’s axon, but either the motor neuron with its axon or the axon itself is lost in all forms of SMA.
The features of SMA are strongly related to its severity and age of onset. SMA caused by mutation of the SMN gene has a wide range, from infancy to adult, fatal to trivial, with different affected individuals manifesting every shade of impairment between these two extremes. Many of the symptoms of SMA relate to secondary complications of muscle weakness. Partner Clinics has developed the techniques to differentiate the Stem cells into the high purity motor neuron progenitor cells. These cells the have ability to regenerate the new and healthy neurons after transplantation and may cure the disease.
