G-CSF prevents the progression of structural disintegration of white matter tracts in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A pilot study

Background: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been shown to have neuroprotective and regenerative properties. The G-CSF receptor is expressed by motoneurons and G-CSF protects cultured motoneuronal cells from apoptosis. It thus might be an attractive and feasible drug candidate for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The current pilot study was performed to determine whether G-CSF may be efficacious in slowing down disease progression in patients with ALS. Methods: Ten patients with definite ALS were studied in a double-blind, randomized approach to either receive G-CSF or place…