ALS (Motor Neurone Disease): cell-therapy evidence by therapy class
Across every stem-cell intervention, ClinicalTrials.gov holds 65 registered records for ALS (Motor Neurone Disease) — 10 recruiting, 5 at Phase 3 or 4, in 16 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
The condition, and why cells are proposed
ALS destroys motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem and spinal cord, and progression is measured in months. Cell-therapy rationales are neuroprotective rather than restorative: the hope is that transplanted or secreted factors slow the loss of remaining neurons. Nothing in the registered record has shown restored motor function, and the condition's rapid, variable decline makes uncontrolled improvement claims especially unreliable.
Therapy classes side by side
Counts come from separate registry queries per class; a study testing two interventions can appear in more than one row, so rows do not sum to the all-interventions total.
Geography of the research
United States accounts for about 35% of country mentions among sampled studies; 16 countries host at least one site.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| United States | 19 |
| China | 6 |
| Iran | 5 |
| Israel | 5 |
| Spain | 5 |
| South Korea | 5 |
| Italy | 3 |
| Brazil | 2 |
The largest registered studies
Sorted by planned enrolment — size is not quality, but a 300-participant trial can answer questions a 12-participant series cannot.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02574390 — Answer ALS: Individualized Initiative for ALS Discovery | n/a | Completed | 1,049 | Johns Hopkins University | 2015-12 |
| NCT02795052 — Neurologic Stem Cell Treatment Study | n/a | Recruiting | 500 | MD Stem Cells | 2016-06 |
| NCT06973629 — Efficacy and Safety of MSC-NTF (NurOwn) in Participants With Early Symptomatic ALS and Moderate Disease Presentation in ALS (ENDURANCE STUDY) | Phase 3 | Not Yet Recruiting | 200 | Brainstorm-Cell Therapeutics | 2025-06-30 |
| NCT03280056 — Safety and Efficacy of Repeated Administrations of NurOwn® in ALS Patients | Phase 3 | Completed | 196 | Brainstorm-Cell Therapeutics | 2017-08-28 |
| NCT04745299 — Evaluation the Efficacy and Safety of Mutiple Lenzumestrocel (Neuronata-R® Inj.) Treatment in Patients With ALS | Phase 3 | Completed | 123 | Corestemchemon, Inc. | 2021-02-24 |
| NCT00874783 — Development of IPS from Donated Somatic Cells of Patients with Neurological Diseases | n/a | Recruiting | 120 | Hadassah Medical Organization | 2009-04 |
Most recently registered
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02478450 — Study to Investigate the Safety of the Transplantation (by Injection) of Human Glial Restricted Progenitor Cells (hGRPs; Q-Cells®) Into Subjects With | n/a | Not Yet Recruiting | n/a | Q Therapeutics, Inc. | 2026-12 |
| NCT07539662 — Unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation for the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) | n/a | Enrolling By Invitation | n/a | Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, China | 2025-12-29 |
| NCT05003921 — Safety of Cultured Allogeneic Adult Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Intrathecal Injection for ALS | n/a | Suspended | n/a | The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine | 2025-12 |
| NCT07118319 — The Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Efficacy of Derived Motor Neuron Progenitor Cells (XS228CN) in Subjects With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | XellSmart Bio-Pharmaceutical (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. | 2025-09-15 |
| NCT06910384 — A Study of STRO4 in Patients Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) | n/a | Terminated | n/a | New England Cell Therapeutics, Inc. | 2025-08-12 |
Reading this honestly
None of these numbers say the therapy works. They say how much organised research exists and how far along it is; effect sizes live in published results, not registry entries. For ALS (Motor Neurone Disease) specifically, the practical question is which registered study — if any — matches the product a provider is offering, and what its outcome measures actually are.
Frequently asked
How many stem-cell trials exist for ALS (Motor Neurone Disease)?
65 registered records mention a stem-cell intervention for this condition (2026-08-29 snapshot), of which 10 were recruiting.
Which therapy class is furthest along for ALS (Motor Neurone Disease)?
Ranked by Phase 3/4 records: MSC (3), HSCT (0), exosomes (0), PRP (0).
Does a recruiting trial mean I can be treated?
No. Trials have eligibility criteria, and joining one is not the same as buying a treatment. Paying a clinic for an unproven intervention outside a registered study gives you neither the protections nor the data collection of a trial.
Registry and literature counts retrieved 2026-08-29 (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2; PubMed E-utilities). Registration or publication volume measures research activity, not effectiveness or approval. Educational information — not medical advice; verify product, indication, legal pathway and evidence with an independent qualified physician. Page generated 2026-08-29. See our editorial standards.
More on this condition
Download the query data
Query totals are full API matches; status, phase and country counts describe the first up to 400 returned records per query. Query classes overlap and must not be summed as unique trials. Counts are not treatment outcomes. Snapshot: 2026-08-29. Methods and field definitions.