Engineered Cells Offer Promise for Treating ALS and Blinding Diseases

Engineered stem cells may lead to personalized treatments for a range of neurological and visual disorders, a new study reports. Transplanting engineered induced pluripotent stem cells into the eyes of rodents with retinal degeneration led to the protection of cells in the eyes that support vision. In ALS models, transplanting cells into the spinal cord protected movement controlling cells. The engineered cells also created astrocytes and did not result in tumor formation.