title: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in pregnancy: clinical outcome during the post-partum period after stem cell transplantation into the frontal motor cortex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is rare in pregnant patients. Stem cell therapy has been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy for ALS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a young woman with sporadic ALS that started during the second trimester of pregnancy with a rapid progression after delivery and severe motor impairment. Several drugs and stem cell injection by lumbar puncture were performed without changes before the patient was referred to our institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After bilateral autologous stem cell transplantation into the frontal motor cortices, we observed stabilization in ALS functional rating scale, significant delay of ALS progression and an extension in her life expectancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stem cell transplantation may alter the clinical course of ALS and improve quality of life in pre-menopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Centro Médico Zambrano Hellion, San Pedro, Mexico; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital San Jose TEC de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; Cellular Therapy Department, CITES Medical School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico. Electronic address: hector.ramon@itesm.mx.
authors.forename: Hector R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Cellular Therapy Department, CITES Medical School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico.
authors.forename: Sergio Salazar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Marioni
authors.affiliation: Cellular Therapy Department, CITES Medical School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico.
authors.forename: César E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Escamilla Ocañas
authors.affiliation: Cellular Therapy Department, CITES Medical School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gonzalez Garza
authors.affiliation: Cellular Therapy Department, CITES Medical School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cuevas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000601:surgery; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: ALS; pregnancy; stem-cell transplant