Joana Carvalho, PhD, managing science editor —

Clusterin, a protein that plays a key role in motor neuron health, and ficolin-3, a protein essential for the activation of immune responses, may be promising biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a recent study. The study, “Levels of clusterin, CD5L, ficolin-3,…

Patient dosing has finished in the pivotal Phase 3 trial assessing the safety and efficacy of repeat administrations of NurOwn, a cell-based therapy for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, the therapy’s developer, announced. The Phase 3 trial (NCT03280056), which enrolled…

Weight loss at the time of diagnosis appears common among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regardless of whether they have dysphagia or other bulbar-onset symptoms, a study looking at more than 2,400 patients found. A severe degree of weight loss is associated with a higher risk of death, its…

Protocatechuic acid, a metabolite of one of the main substances that give blackberries and black rice their distinctive dark color, can extend the lifespan and reduce the progression and severity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a mouse model of the disease, a study found. The study, “…

Caffeine, an antioxidant with neuroprotective properties, was seen to promote the normal development of lab-cultured motor neurons isolated from a mouse model of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Similar results were also found with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in its oxidized form (NAD+), a metabolic cofactor…

Treatment of people whose symptoms are suggestive of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but likely linked to a retrovirus called human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) should focus on alleviating symptoms and lowering the viral load, a case report highlights. The report, “Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus…

Statins, often prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, are not associated with poorer overall survival in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and should not be discontinued on that basis, a German study has found. The study, “Statins, diabetes mellitus, and prognosis of Amyotrophic…

Injecting tiny particles carrying adapalene — an activator of the retinoic acid signaling pathway — to the brain and spinal cord of mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can prolong animals’ survival, improve their motor function, and prevent neurodegeneration, a study shows. The study, “…

A shift in the make-up of immune cells found in the blood of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) favors specific types of pro-inflammatory T-helper cells in detriment to anti-inflammatory regulatory T-cells, a study has found. This change in immune cells’ balance is associated with disease severity…

By blocking the activity of the proteasome — a complex of enzymes responsible for the destruction of unnecessary or damaged proteins — dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins associated with C9ORF72 gene repeat expansions (the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) can travel between nerve cells…