A University of Michigan neurologist is the principal investigator for the first human clinical trial of a stem cell treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Dr. Eva Feldman has worked with a team of neurologists to develop the protocol for injecting neural stem into patients' spinal cords. The cells are patented by Neuralstem Inc., a Rockville, Md.-based biotech company.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Neuralstem's plan to test the safety of the treatment for the fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative disorder commonly called Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The initial phase to determine the safety of the treatment is to take place at Emory University in Atlanta.