**5.3.37 Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)**

IGF-1 is a growth factor stimulated by the human growth hormone (hGH). It induces cell proliferation and differentiation (Rosenbloom, 2009).

Whereas a first trial of IGF-1 in ALS patients reported a slower disease progression of functional impairment and a higher quality of life score (Lai et al., 1997), a subsequent study did not find beneficial effects after 9 months of treatment (Borasio et al., 1998). A phase III clinical trial (NCT00035815) found no beneficial effects after 2 years of treatment in ALS patients (Sorenson et al., 2008).
