ｉＰＳ創薬、ＡＬＳに有効　１年投与、進行７カ月遅らす―慶応大

　慶応大の研究チームは２０日、人工多能性幹細胞（ｉＰＳ細胞）を使って見つけた筋萎縮性側索硬化症（ＡＬＳ）の治療薬候補を患者に投与した結果、有効性や安全性が確認されたと発表した。１年間の試験で病気の進行を約７カ月遅らせることができたという。
　ＡＬＳは筋肉を動かす指令を伝える神経細胞が死に、全身の筋肉が痩せて歩行障害などが起きる進行性難病。国内患者は約１万人とされる。
　慶応大の岡野栄之教授らのチームは、患者の血液を基に作ったｉＰＳ細胞から、病気の状態の神経細胞を作製。さまざまな薬剤を添加した結果、パーキンソン病治療薬ロピニロール塩酸塩に神経細胞の死を抑える効果が確認できたとして、２０１８年に医師主導の臨床試験（治験）を始めたと発表していた。（2021/05/20-16:12）

A potential drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis found using induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells has been confirmed effective in delaying progression of the neurodegenerative disease, a Japanese team said Thursday.
   A one-year trial has demonstrated that the potential drug, already used as a Parkinson's disease treatment, slowed the ALS progression about seven months, the Keio University research team said, adding its safety has also been confirmed.
   ALS is an intractable disease in which nerve cells that control muscle movements die, causing muscle weakness that affects the ability to walk, speak, eat and breathe. Japan has an estimated 10,000 ALS patients.
   Keio University professor Hideyuki Okano and his colleagues created nerve cells in a diseased state from iPS cells derived from the blood of ALS patients.
   After testing various drugs, the team found that ropinirole hydrochloride is effective in curbing the death of nerve cells. In 2018, the team announced the start of a clinical trial using the potential ALS drug.