The next day.
As soon as Zhao Sheng and Jin Dong arrived at the center, they were called to the office by Zhu Yong.
Entering the office and sitting on the sofa, Zhu Yong first made tea for the two of them, and then said to Zhao Sheng and Jin Dong: "Director Zhao, Professor Jin, don't you know how effective our current nerve regeneration technology is for gradual nerve regeneration?" How effective is the treatment for frostbite?"
"ALS?"
Zhao Sheng was a little surprised when he heard this, and Jin Dong was also a little confused.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neurone disease. Together with malignant tumors, AIDS, leukemia and rheumatoid, it is listed as one of the "five major terminal diseases in the world".
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons. Both upper and lower motor neurons can be affected. Among them, damage to upper motor neurons will cause Affects nerves in the brain; damage to lower motor neurons affects nerves from the spinal cord or brainstem.
The onset of ALS is often difficult to detect, and symptoms gradually worsen over time. In the early stage, local symptoms are mainly present, including muscle twitching (such as arms, legs, shoulders or tongue), muscle stiffness, muscle spasm, etc. As the disease progresses, it may affect the whole body, causing difficulty in swallowing, speech, and breathing. Respiratory muscle dysfunction, in particular, may endanger the patient's life. Some patients will also have varying degrees of non-motor manifestations, including cognitive and behavioral changes.
The "Ice Bucket Challenge" became popular all over the world a few years ago. This activity is a challenge launched to call people's attention to ALS and to care for people with ALS.
In our country, there are about 200,000 ALS patients, and this number is still increasing year by year. Sadly, because there is no effective treatment for this disease, about 80% of patients will die within 5 years of onset.
"Yes, Director Zhao, Professor Jin, you must also know that Liu Shi, the vice president of Zhongbei, suffers from ALS."
Zhu Yong continued.
"I know that in order to treat himself, Liu Shi invested all his funds in research and treatment of ALS."
Zhao Sheng nodded.
"Yes, we all know that the research institute in which Liu Shi mainly invests is researching the treatment of ALS based on the toxicity theory of Aβ and tau proteins."
"But yesterday I received news that the institute's treatment for these two targets failed."
"If no new treatment entry point can be found, Liu Shi's life will enter a countdown."
Zhu Yong said slowly.
"I know about this. The research institute invested by Liu Shi previously developed leqembi, a monoclonal antibody against Aβ. However, during the actual use of this antibody, immune infiltration caused serious side effects of cerebral edema. So it was deactivated.”
"In fact, I have always believed that removing abnormal deposited proteins only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, because the genes encoding Aβ and tau proteins are actually expressed throughout the brain, but the thalamus is not affected, so this toxic protein theory cannot explain this very important disease feature. , the deposition of Aβ and taught proteins is likely to be the result of the disease rather than the cause."
Jin Dong said seriously and professionally.
"Not only that, but in response to another hypothesis about the pathogenesis of ALS, the toxicity theory of alpha-synuclein, and the monoclonal antibodies to alpha-synuclein that were developed, all clinical trials have failed."
Zhao Sheng continued.
He and Jin Dong are studying nerve regeneration technology, and they must be very familiar with various cutting-edge research and progress on ALS.
"This is not surprising. Alpha-synuclein is highly expressed in all neurons. Why is the deposition of alpha-synuclein limited to catecholaminergic neurons? Why can A53T transgenic mice only simulate Lewy body pathology and lack Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and movement disorders?”
"So it is normal to fail. This toxicity theory is also debatable."
Jin Dong nodded and said.
"So, the existing theories proposed by some to explain the causes of ALS have basically failed, and the various treatments developed to target these causes have failed clinically."
After hearing what Zhao Sheng and Jin Dong said, Zhu Yong said with some regret.
"Director Zhao, Professor Jin, I heard that stem cell therapy is the most promising treatment for ALS. So, with our current technology, can we effectively treat ALS?"
After a pause, Zhu Yong asked Zhao Sheng and Jin Dong curiously.
"Using mesenchymal stem cells to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis does have great potential because mesenchymal stem cells secrete factors that promote the survival of motor neurons and protect them from further damage, promoting endogenous neuronal growth, neurogenesis, and providing therapeutic protection of neurons, which may extend the lifespan of existing motor neurons and slow down the degenerative process. Ultimately helping to slow the progression of ALS and over a longer period of time Preserve motor function.”
"In addition, stem cells have the potential to promote tissue repair and regeneration. They can secrete various growth factors and cytokines, such as transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), etc., stimulating surrounding cells and The tissue initiates a repair process that helps repair damaged motor neuron networks and improves the overall health of the affected area."
Jin Dong thought for a while and said seriously.
In terms of stem cell treatment technology, he is the top expert in the country and can be said to be at the forefront.
"In other words, can I try?"
When Zhu Yong heard what Jin Dong said, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"But I read a lot of literature and they all say that the cause of ALS has not been elucidated yet?"
After a pause, Zhu Yong said with some doubts.
The reason is not clear yet, so how can we effectively treat it?
"For many diseases, treatments are first found. Finding the cause is just one way to find a treatment."
Zhao Sheng heard Zhu Yong's words and said.
"The onset of disease is very complicated. Even if it is a common disease, it may be cured by buying medicine in a pharmacy or clinic, but the pathogenesis may not be fully elucidated."
After a pause, Zhao Sheng said again.
"That's right, as long as we can cure it, it doesn't matter what caused it."
Hearing Zhao Sheng's words, Zhu Yong suddenly realized.
He fell into a conventional misunderstanding and believed that the cause of the disease must be found out and clarified before it can be effectively treated.
In fact, in the field of medical research, many times, the treatment results for a certain disease are first achieved by accident.
(End of chapter)
