The functional deficiency of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells in ALS patients is proportional to disease progression rate

► Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is known to be a systemic disease which dominantly affects motor neuron. ► Stem cell therapy using autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) has been being tried for ALS worldwide. ► There is considerable controversy about the efficacy of stem cell therapy for ALS. ► In this study, we showed that functional deficiency of BM-MSCs in ALS patients is proportional to disease progression rate. ► Therefore, more appropriate cell sources with better functions need to be studied and used for the treatment of ALS.