title: Insulin-like growth factor-I for the treatment of amyotrophic  lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects both upper and lower motorneurons (MN) resulting in weakness, paralysis and subsequent death. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a potent neurotrophic factor that has neuroprotective properties in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Due to the efficacy of IGF-I in the treatment of other diseases and its ability to promote neuronal survival, IGF-I is being extensively studied in ALS therapeutic trials. This review covers in vitro and in vivo studies examining the efficacy of IGF-I in ALS model systems and also addresses the mechanisms by which IGF-I asserts its effects in these models, the status of the IGF-I system in ALS patients, results of clinical trials, and the need for the development of better delivery mechanisms to maximize IGF-I efficacy. The knowledge obtained from these studies suggests that IGF-I has the potential to be a safe and efficacious therapy for ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Stacey A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sakowski
authors.forename: Adam D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Schuyler
authors.forename: Eva L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Feldman
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I