A recently discovered inflammatory mechanism triggered by Schwann cells —  specialized cells that produce the protective myelin sheath around neurons —  in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can be alleviated with masitinib, a study in rat models shows. The study, “Schwann cells orchestrate peripheral nerve…
Small molecule inhibitors that block the activity of SARM1 — an enzyme that plays a key role in nerve cell degeneration — prevent the degeneration of axons in mice and cellular models of disease, a preclinical study has found. These findings may be the first steps towards the development…
Scientists have developed a new method to validate antibodies for research, demonstrating its effectiveness by using the protein encoded by the C9ORF72 gene, which, when mutated, may cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a study reports. They also urged its implementation in labs around…
AL-S Pharma AG, a biotech company jointly founded and financed by Neurimmune and TVM Capital Life Science, has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 1 clinical trial assessing the safety and tolerability of AP-101, an experimental therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). AP-101 is a human…
Collaborative Medicinal Development (CMD) has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 2/3 clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of CuATSM, an investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The trial (NCT04082832) is aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of CuATSM. The…
Use of reldesemtiv in a clinical trial in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients led to a slower decline in muscle control needed for speech relative to placebo, a study reports. The trial used Aural Analytics’ proprietary speech analytics platform technology to evaluate this motor function in a large group of…
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a two-year research grant totaling $758,121 to support a group of scientists from the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Innovation in Brain Science (CIBS) working on the development of RASRx1902, a potential treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis…
People with rapid weight loss in the earlier stages of amyotophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — before invasive ventilation is needed to support breathing — are more likely to have a poorer prognosis in its later stages than those who don’t, a study reports. The study, “Body weight variation predicts…
Scientists have created a new type of split-hand index — which identifies the loss of the pincer grasp — that is able to distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy individuals at the earliest stages of the disease. Results from the study, “Split-hand index in…
Mutations causing a complete loss of function of the SOD1 gene lead to severe motor problems, a case study reports, calling for caution in research into silencing this gene as a  potential treatment for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The case study, “SOD1 deficiency: a novel syndrome…
Get regular updates to your inbox.