ALS Canada urges greater federal investment in disease research

The United States Congress recently passed legislation to support five more years of ALS research and expand access to promising experimental therapies. We cannot afford to waste a moment. On Sept. 28, Congress passed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS (ACT for ALS) Reauthorization Act, which would…

A combination of 10 blood proteins distinguished people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy people with 98.3% balanced accuracy in a new study. “This 10-protein combination in our ALS disease prediction model classified ALS vs control with superior accuracy … to previously published studies,” researchers wrote. However, the…

Two interconnected themes — community and hope — dominated the conversations at a recent gathering of people living with neuromuscular diseases. Lily Sander, MDA National Ambassador, speaking at MDA Engage: Dallas. (Photo by Tara Haelle) Lily Sander, national ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), hit on those…

A history of head injury is associated with 36% higher odds of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 studies involving more than 5 million people. The review included 22 studies that compared people with and without ALS, looking at…

AP-101, an experimental treatment being developed by AL-S Pharma for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), may help patients preserve their body weight compared with a placebo, potentially indicating better clinical outcomes as the disease progresses. These findings come from a post-hoc analysis of AP101-02 (NCT05039099), a completed Phase…

In the fall of 2009, when my husband, Todd, first noticed a weak left arm, he thought it was a pinched nerve. He was referred to a spine-care clinic for physical therapy. A doctor there recognized that his symptoms might be due to ALS, canceled his physical therapy, and…

ALS.Community has launched a new free online platform to help people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), their families, and caregivers connect with others, share experiences, and find practical support. Developed with input from people living with ALS, the patient-led nonprofit platform offers discussion communities, virtual events, educational…

Combining spinal fluid biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease with levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of nerve damage, may improve the diagnosis of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and predict their long-term outcomes, a study suggests. For example, people with ALS who test positive for the…

Scientists have been searching for a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for more than a century, and they are making faster progress than ever before in today’s collaborative research environment, according to Daragh Heitzman, MD, director of the ALS Clinic at Texas Neurology in Dallas. Heitzman, who…