Robot for MRI-Guided ALS Spinal Therapy

Limited treatment options are available for treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (1). Small animal models have shown promise in halting neurodegeneration associated with ALS where cellular therapeutics are delivered to the ventral horn of the spinal cord (2), although this procedure is invasive and requires multi-level laminectomy and dissection of the dura mater (Fig. 1). We hypothesized that SpinoBof, a robotic needle guidance platform (Fig. 2) could deliver cellular therapeutics to the ventral horn percutaneously under MRI guidance, enhancing upon existing invasive and time-consuming techniques for targeting injection sites.