Lou Gehrig's Disease May Have New Hope, Stephen Hawking Pushes for More Stem Cell Research (Video)

Scientists are studying ways to slow the progression of Lou Gehrig's disease, a neurological disorder that has left British cosmologist Stephen Hawking completely paralyzed. 71-year-old Hawking toured a stem cell laboratory Tuesday in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to find out what kind of advances doctors and scientists were making.

Following his diagnoses of the disease 50 years ago, Hawking recalled how depressed he became, and admitted, according to ABC News, that he didn't see a point initially in finishing his doctorate. However, his attitude changed when his condition didn't progress quickly and he was able to concentrate on his studies.

"Every new day became a bonus," he said.

Cedars-Sinai received nearly $18 million last year from California's taxpayer-funded stem cell institute to study the debilitating disease also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control the muscles. People gradually have more and more trouble breathing and moving as muscles weaken and waste away.

To date, there is no cure or reverse for the disease's progression, and few people with ALS live longer than a decade.

According to the ALS Association, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death.  

But Hawking, who was diagnosed at 21 while a student at Cambridge University, survived much longer than usual. He currently receives around-the-clock care and can only communicate by twitching his cheek. He also relies on a computer mounted to his wheelchair to convey his thoughts in a distinctive robotic monotone.

Hawking was informed of the work at the center through a former student and Cedars-Sinai patient.

"We decided it was a great opportunity for him to see the labs and for us to speak to one of the preeminent scientists in the world," said Dr. Robert Baloh, who heads the hospital's ALS program.

During the tour, Hawking viewed microscopic stem cells through a projector screen and asked questions about the research, Baloh said.

Cedar-Sinai scientists have focused on engineering stem cells to make a protein in hopes of preventing nerve cells from dying. The experiment so far has been done in rats. Baloh said he hopes to get governmental approval to test it in humans, which would be needed before any therapy can be approved.

Want to find out more about the health advances offered through Cedars-Sinai Medical Center? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.