Research conducted personally by Dr. Letizia Mazzini (Neurological Clinic - Amedeo Avogadro University of Piedmont Orientale - Novara), that will have the possibility of following the course of patients afflicted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and surgical interventions.

To develop the research guidelines provided in the study, it requires a completely dedicated researcher available at the University of Novara for a period of at least five years.  The forecasted gross cost is 30,000.00 Euro per year for a total of 150,000.00 Euro.  For additional information, click here

"Stem cell treatment in
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis"
Journal of the Neurological Sciences (2007)

Link | Stem Cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: state of the ArtComplete Article (Pdf, 382 Kb) | Read the news

Objective for 2005-2006 –PHASE 1 CLINICAL STUDY "CLINICAL APPLICATION OF AUTOLOGOUS MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS IN AMIOTROFIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS" Author: Dr. Letizia Mazzini, Department of Neurology, Easter Piedmont University, Novara (June 2008)

Link | Complete Article (Pdf, 16 Kb)

Updates on the state of research on Stem Cells

Link | Stem Cells in amyotropich lateral sclerosis: state of the Art

Studies are in progress in the Stem Cell Transplant Laboratory of the Regina Margherita Hospital of Turin regarding the mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The MSC are drawn from a healthy individual and cultivated in a laboratory to be able to transplant them in diseased subjects for therapeutic purposes. In this case, the human MSC are isolated and expanded, originating from the medulla ossium (bone marrow) and driven to differentiation in a neutral sense in vitro.

The differentiation of the MSC into neutral cells is studied by means of biological cellular, molecular and electrophysiological techniques. In particular, the MSC placed in culture with diverse agents of differentiation including ß-mercaptoethanol; dimethyl sulfoxide + ß-hydroxyanisole; trans-retinoic acid and Neural Progenitor Maintenance Medium are able to modify their morphology (assuming a semi-neural aspect), express neural markers (including Nestin, Neuron-Specific Enolase; the antigen Neuronal Nuclear, the type 2 Microtubule-associated Protein and the Glial Fribrillary Acidic Protein) and present currents associated to the K+ channels raised by means of electrophysiological techniques. These cells (MSC) are able to excrete substances which favour the growth of the neurons and their prolongation.

Moreover, to study the capacity of the MSC to slow the progression of the neuronal damage and the eventual regeneration of the damaged nerve tissue, in the Human Anatomy and Legal Medicine laboratory of the University of Studies in Turin, directed by Prof. Alessandro Vercelli, in vivo studies are in progress on an experimental model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice. As a model, SOD-1 mice are used, that is a carrier of the mutated gene of the superoxide-dimutase of type 1.  Such mutation provokes in mice a clinical picture similar to that of the patients afflicted with the familial form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease characterised by the progressive degeneration of motoneurons with consequent atrophy and muscular paralysis.  The human MSC are marked with a nuclear colorant (Bisbenzimide) and inoculated in the spinal cord level. The results obtained to date demonstrate how the MSC inoculated at a spinal cord level of these mice are able to root, migrate, and survive in the long term and reduce the reactive astrogliosis, slowing the progression of the pathology. Such results reflect from a functional point of view in the improvement in the behavioural tests, therefore, in the motor functions in the transplanted mice.  It is our intention to use the MSC to administer substances that prevent the neuronal death in the spinal cord location.

To continue such studies, the use of new instruments are deemed necessary including a laminar flow hood for the manipulation of cellular cultures with UV lamp and empty tap and a large capacity centrifuge counter ventilated for the isolation and expansion of the mesenchymal stem cells.

Project Manager:

Dr. Franca Fagioli
STEM CELL TRANSPLANT AND CELLULAR THERAPY CENTRE
University of Studies of Turin
Regina Margherita Hospital
Piazza Polonia, 94 – Turin

Vai alla news: STUDIO CLINICO IN FASE 1 “APPLICAZIONE CLINICA DELLE CELLULE STAMINALI MESENCHIMALI AUTOLOGHE NELLA SCLEROSI LATERALE AMIOTROFICA”


24/08/06 - Confermato l’acquisto dei seguenti macchinari Thermo Electron Corporation:


Price reserved for us 11,266.00 Euro
code 82024100: Maxi Safe 2010 1.8/ with divided work station
code 52270240: UV Lamp with timer

Price reserved for us 4,785.00 Euro
code 11177560: Centrifuge C4i
code 11175338: M4 oscillating rotor
code 11174218: Set 4 vial racks
code 11174529: Set 4 adaptors

Price reserved for us 5,258.40 Euro
code 19371: Incubator + 8 door Kit

Total order in Euro 21,309.40 + vat 20%= Euro 25,571.28.

23/03/2008 Macchinari istallati e collaudati presso il Centro Trapianti
di Piazza Polonia 94 – Torino (Foto 1 - Foto 2 - Foto 3)

10/01/2007: pagato acconto macchinari € 6.392,82
(fatt. n. d/2 06 00 2508 Thermo Fisher Scientific)

15/07/2008: pagato saldo macchinari € 19.178,46
(fatt. n. d/2 06 00 2508 Thermo Fisher Scientific)

A recent epidemiologic study on professional Italian football players engaged in series A and B between 1970 and 2001 showed how the frequency of ALS is significantly higher (approximately 6.5 times) and the age of onset is net inferior (on average 43 years) with respect to the occurrence in the general Italian population. (Brain Article). The origin of such increase and precocity is unknown.

This study was created by the consolidated collaboration between Dr. Gabriele Mora of the Salvatore Maugeri Foundation in Pavia and Prof. Adriano Chiò of the Department of Neuroscience in Turin who were the authors of the survey on ALS in football players, along with the basic scientific contributions by Dr. Caterina Bendotti of the Department of Neuroscience at the “Mario Negri” Institute who has worked in this area for numerous years.

The overall cost of this study amounts to 220,000 Euro and includes 3 biennial scholarships, the necessary reactants for conducting the experiment and the acquisition of an instrument (Bio-Plex System, Bio-Rad). (Bioplex)

Allegati Borsa di Studio (Dipartimento di Neuroscienze dell'Istituto "Mario Negri"):
- Bando di Concorso per 1 borsa di studio per laureati in discipline biomediche;
- Lettera Dott.essa Silvia Pozzi;
- Lettera a Fondazione Vialli e Mauro.

Allegati Borsa di Studio (Dipartimento di Neuroscienze di Torino):
- Bando per assegnamento della Borsa di Studio;
- CV (Dott.essa Maura Brunetti);
- Verbale della commissione;
- Richiesta di erogazione fondi per Borsa di Studio (Prof. Filippo Bogetto).

Il costo complessivo di questo studio ammonta a 220.000 Euro e comprende 3 borse di studio biennali, i reagenti necessari per condurre gli esperimenti e l’acquisto di uno strumento (Bio-Plex System, Bio-Rad). (Bioplex)

Vedi: Bio-Plex Suspension Array System - Scheda tecnica cod. n. 171000201
Scheda Tecnica Bioplex

Per saperne di più sulla SLA clicca qui

Richieste:
Risorse Umane
1 borsa di studio triennale per biologo presso l'Istituto Mario Negri (costo 45.000 €)
1 borsa di studio biennale per biologo presso la Fondazione Maugeri (costo 40.000 €)
1 borsa di studio biennale per biologo presso il Dipartimento di Neuroscienze di Torino (costo 40.000€)

Materiale e apparecchiature: Bio-plex System (Bio-rad): apparecchio per la determinazione simultanea di diverse molecole di intresse (citochine, fosfoproteine, fattori di morte cellulare). Costo circa 72.000 €. Leggi qui Il Comunicato stampa

Materiale di consumo (anticorpi, enzimi, kits per immunoistochimica, terreni di coltura, primer genetici e kit per sequenziamento, etc.) Costo circa 50.000 €

07/05/ 2007: Acquistato Bioplex euro 72.000
(Bio-Rad Laboratories s.r.l, fattura n° S01/20710589 del 26/3/2007);

18/09/2007: Erogato finanziamento euro 30.000 per borsa di Studio presso Istituto Mario Negri di Milano;

23/01/2008: Pagata prima richiesta di materiale di consumo, € 9.456,00
(Link: visualizza la fattura);

26/03/2008: Pagata seconda richiesta di materiale di consumo, € 20.000
(vedi allegato: Fondazione Vialli e Mauro contributo spese)

15/07/2008: Erogato finanziamento euro 40.000 per borsa di Studio presso Dipartimento di Neuroscienze Università degli Studi di Torino

15/09/2009: Erogati euro 40.000 ad Aisla onlus per il finanziamento della borsa di Studio presso la Fondazione S.Maugeri di Milano

I COMUNICATORI AD ALTO CONTENUTO TECNOLOGICO"Se volete sapere come ci si sente quando si è impossibilitati a comunicare, andate ad una riunione e fingete di non poter parlare. Usate le mani ma non carta e matita, perché queste non sono usate da persone con gravi disabilità fisiche, impossibilitate ad esprimersi verbalmente. Sarete circondati d persone che parlano, davanti a voi, dietro di voi, intorno a voi, sotto di voi, attraverso di voi ed anche per voi, ma mai con voi. Voi verrete ignorati, finchè vi sentirete come un elemento dell’arredamento".
Mario Melazzini, malato di Sla

I sistemi di comunicazione aumentativa alternativa sono da anni utilizzati per consentire di comunicare anche nelle fasi più avanzate della Sla, in cui sono possibili solamente piccoli movimenti residui, a volte in un solo distretto corporeo.
Tali sistemi, basati su un dispositivo hardware di scrittura, spesso un PC portatile equipaggiato con un software specifico, utilizzano nella May r parte dei casi il metodo della scansione delle lettere. In questo caso possono essere comandati con un unico pulsante attraverso i movimenti corporei residui, fino a quando essi permangono.

The electromyograph is an equipment that identifies, stores and process the electrical signals associated with the muscular activity of any kind and area of the human body.

Thanks to this equipment it is possible, for patients suffering from neuromuscular disorders, particularly for the Amiotrofic Lateral Sclerosis, to identify the suffering signs of the II motoneuron through the study of the peripheral nervous system and recording of the muscular electrical activity, by allowing the clinical neurologist to add an important element in reaching the certain diagnosis of the disorder. 

01 December 2009
Donation of the electromyograph to the Clinical Centre Nemo (NEuroMuscular Omnicentre)
Picture of the donation

The amiotrofic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disease of the nervous system, with selective involvement of motoneurons I and II, still considered rare affecting both men (with slight prevalence) and women, of all ages, but mostly in the seventh decade of life, determining a progressive deficiency of the motor functions at spinal (atrophy, cramps, fasciculation, plasticity and loss of muscular strength in the 4 limbs), respiratory (with involvement of the diaphragm and intercostals muscles) and bulbar (that is, the muscles innervated by cranial nerves causing dysphonia, dysartria and dysphagia) level.

The disease has an average survival of about 3-4 years from the onset of the symptoms and the death occurs for respiratory insufficiency due to pneumonia, often “ab ingestis” (for ingestion of food in the respiratory tract) or to a progressive deficiency of the respiratory muscles.
According to the data of the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta Registry for ALS, this disease has an incidence of about 2.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (equal to about 120 new cases every year in Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta) and a prevalence of about 7.4 cases for 100,000 inhabitants (equal to about 320 patients every year).

The cause is still unknown and there are no aetiological therapies, except for the riluzole, which has however shown its efficiency only in slowing the progression of the disease. Nevertheless, there are efficient symptomatic therapies and the possibility to assist properly the patient affected by ALS, but the patient must be fully assisted by specialised centres.

In the last years, the activity of the ALS Centre of Turin of the I Neurological Clinic of the University of Turin, managed by Prof. Roberto Mutani, and under the direction of Prof. Adriano Chiò, has grown exponentially in the quantity of work and diversification of objectives. Since its establishment, assistance and clinical research have been its main objectives:

a) the number of scientific publications has grown constantly, with a very high and top quality productivity; in addition, the number of scientific contributions presented in the most important international as well as national conferences is very high;

b) currently, several internal research projects are in progress, with collaborations inside the interdisciplinary research group (Turin ALS Research Group), and with external collaborations (Italian study group on ALS, EURALS, NIH and other collaborations); in particular, studies of molecular genetics and wide genomic screening; clinical and epidemiological studies (population perspective register, risk factors, such as sport, in particular football, studies on the evaluation of stress and traumas, on the weight, lipid profile); clinical studies of evaluation of the respiratory and diet parameters; psychological clinical studies on the quality of life and neuropsychological; research studies of diagnosis and prognosis markers; neurophysiologic studies); experimental clinical studies (see point d).
 
c) the number of outpatients and, first in Italy, treated at home with an institutionalised service of home specialist assistance, is increasingly growing, with ever more frequent admissions from outside the Region, reaching about 650 outpatient visits every year and about 200 home visits; in addition, the admissions in this structure for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and for the execution of procedures such as the percutaneous radiological gastrostomy (proven by this group, first in the world, to be the best for patients affected by ALS) cover a large part of the assistance activity;

d) currently, 6 therapeutic trials are in progress, two international and four domestic, of which three spontaneous studies: STEMALS multi-centre study, which evaluates the use of growth factors for the mobilisation of mesenchymal stem cells; SIRONA ONO2506PO protocol; ALALS Protocol; GOALS protocol; LITALS protocol; LAC protocol.

This quantity of work, requiring specialist training, is currently carried out by Prof. Adriano Chiò and his collaborators who constantly and specifically work on this disease, who cover non-structured working positions (2 research graduate students, 3 postgraduate students, 2 psychologists under contract, 1 scholarship biologist, some students writing a graduation thesis). It therefore seems necessary to increase the staff, structured in such a manner to ascertain the execution of the assistance activities, but also and particularly, on the research for such a devastating disease such as ALS.