Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association

Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association	Additional Information
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The Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association would like to thank Dr Stuart Neilson and Dr Frank Clifford Rose for permission to use the following extracts from their book. “Motor Neurone Disease” At Your Fingertips Guide”. Class Publishing (London) Ltd 2003 ISBN: 859590470 How long does diagnosis take? Who is at greatest risk of developing MND? What are the symptoms and how fast does MND progress? Are other members of my family likely to get MND too? Are there any drugs for treating MND? What are Stem Cells? Is it safe for me to continue regular exercise? What are Stem Cells? Stem cell research is a novel area of research that has fuelled hope of a treatment for a variety of conditions including MND. Much of the excitement surrounding stem cell research arose from the idea that embryonic stem cells, which have the potential to grow into any type of cell, could possibly be used to replace diseased neurones. However, there are many unanswered questions surrounding the use of stem cells in MND. For example: How can we direct new neurones to make the correct connections? How can we replace motor neurones that may be up to a metre long when the new cells can only grow extremely slowly? Although the use of stem cell therapy for MND may eventually be possible, the general perception among scientists and clinicians in the MND research community is that the research is not currently sufficiently well advanced. The UK is currently one of the world leaders in embryonic stem cell research.
Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association, 76 Firhill Road,, Glasgow, G20 7BA, Tel: 0141 945 1077, Fax: 0141 945 2578, email: The Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland, number 217735. It is registered as a Scottish Charity with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), SCO 02662.

The Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association would like to thank Dr Stuart Neilson and Dr Frank Clifford Rose for permission to use the following extracts from their book. “Motor Neurone Disease” At Your Fingertips Guide”. Class Publishing (London) Ltd 2003 ISBN: 859590470

What are Stem Cells?

Stem cell research is a novel area of research that has fuelled hope of a treatment for a variety of conditions including MND. Much of the excitement surrounding stem cell research arose from the idea that embryonic stem cells, which have the potential to grow into any type of cell, could possibly be used to replace diseased neurones. However, there are many unanswered questions surrounding the use of stem cells in MND. For example: How can we direct new neurones to make the correct connections? How can we replace motor neurones that may be up to a metre long when the new cells can only grow extremely slowly? Although the use of stem cell therapy for MND may eventually be possible, the general perception among scientists and clinicians in the MND research community is that the research is not currently sufficiently well advanced. The UK is currently one of the world leaders in embryonic stem cell research.