In a pioneering development for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center neurosurgical team led by J. Patrick Johnson, MD, has participated in a transformative Phase I/IIa study for a novel therapy targeting the motor neurons that degenerate in ALS patients. The study, overseen by Pablo Avalos, MD, showcases a treatment that involves transplanting engineered stem cells that produce a neuroprotective protein, GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor), directly into the spinal cord.
Dr. Johnson, Co-Medical Director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center and Vice Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, has played a pivotal and ongoing role in advancing this new therapeutic avenue and co-authored the initial findings published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine (Cedars-Sinai Investigators Confirm Safety of ALS Therapy). His expertise in neurosurgery and involvement in the design and execution of the clinical trial have been instrumental in proving the safety and potential efficacy of this unique treatment. The therapy offers a beacon of hope in slowing down, and potentially reversing, the debilitating effects of ALS, a progressive neurological disorder that severely impacts muscle function.
For more detailed information, please read the full article on Cedars-Sinai’s website: “A New Path for ALS Treatment.”
J. Patrick Johnson, MD is a renowned neurosurgeon specializing in spinal disorders and has served as the Director of the Institute for Spinal Disorders at Cedars Sinai Medical Center since 2001 and previously as the Director of the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center from 1993 to 2001.
Dr. Johnson’s contributions to the field of neurosurgery and spine surgery are highly regarded, and minimally invasive spinal surgery is a focus of Dr. Johnson’s practice.