Largest ALS patient-based iPSC repository opens new frontiers in research

In a landmark continuing collaboration, Answer ALS and Cedars-Sinai have announced the completed availability of the largest amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient-based induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and bio data repository. The repository encompasses biological and clinical data from nearly 1,000 ALS patients, offering an unprecedented resource for global researchers studying ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Led by Dhruv Sareen, Ph.

D., Executive Director of the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, the team, which includes Biomanufacturing Center Manager Loren Ornelas and Associate Biomedical Scientist Aaron Frank, has achieved a milestone in ALS research. We reprogrammed blood cells into iPSCs and differentiated them into motor neurons, which die in ALS patients at an unprecedented scale.

This has established the world's largest bank of specialized neurons for ALS research to date and offers a comprehensive and advanced model for disease research and drug discovery." Dhruv Sareen, Ph.D.

, Executive Director of the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center This approach enables investigators across academia and industry to access a vast array of patient-specific iPSCs and differentiated motor neurons. They can then analyze ALS disease progression in lab-created cells and correlate these observations with the detailed clinical, genetic, and protein profiles unique to each ALS patient. The availability of an ALS patient's "avatar-in-a-dish" with an extensive .