Abstract
A new protocol suggests that patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are a viable source of tissue for organ transplantation. However, multiple lines of evidence suggest that many neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, might progress due to transcellular propagation of protein aggregation among neurons. Transmission of the disease state from donor to host thus may be possible under the permissive circumstances of graft transplantation. We argue for careful patient selection and close longitudinal follow-up of recipients when harvesting organs from individuals with neurodegenerative disease, especially dominantly inherited forms.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 832-836 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Annals of Neurology |
Volume | 72 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2012 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neurology
- Clinical Neurology