HGF and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Based on substantial literature about hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its neurotrophic effects, as well as some preclinical evidence in ALS mouse models of its role as a neuroprotectant, the hypothesis that a novel genomic complementary DNA (cDNA) hybrid human HGF injected via plasmid directly into muscle can result in the local production of HGF and subsequent maintenance of the neuromuscular junction was explored.74