Posts by: Joana Fernandes, PhD

Joana Fernandes, PhD

Joana brings more than 8 years of academic research and experience as well as Scientific writing and editing to her role as a Science and Research writer. She also served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology in Coimbra, Portugal, where she also received her PhD in Health Science and Technologies, with a specialty in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

July 21, 2017July 21, 2017

Researchers Find Natural Mechanism to Prevent Harmful Protein Clumping Linked to ALS

News

Researchers have discovered a natural mechanism that can help prevent the formation of harmful protein clumps that contribute to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to results of ... Read more

July 19, 2017

Boston and San Francisco Hospitals Will Take Part in Phase 3 Trial of NurOwn for ALS

News

Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco will be among the sites where ALS patients will take in a Phase 3 clinical trial of BrainStorm Cell ... Read more

July 18, 2017

Researchers Create Musical Instrument to Be Played Using Only the Mind

News

A musical instrument that can be played only with brain activity may empower and rehabilitate patients with ALS and other motor diseases. Invoking brain scans known as electroencephalograms, University of ... Read more

July 17, 2017

Neuraltus Completes Enrollment in Second Phase 2 Trial of NP001 for Treating ALS Inflammation

News

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals has completed enrollment its Phase 2 confirmatory study of NP001 (NCT02794857) in ALS patients with systemic inflammation. The company expects the last patient in the trial to ... Read more

July 11, 2017

Traumatic Brain Injury May Increase Risk of Dementia, but Not ALS, Study Reports

News

A moderate to severe traumatic brain injury puts a person at high risk of developing dementia, although not Parkinson’s or ALS, a study in Finland suggests. In contrast, a mild ... Read more

June 22, 2017June 22, 2017

Metal Levels in Blood, Urine, and Hair May Serve as ALS Biomarkers, Study Suggests

News

Several metals may be linked to the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to results of a small study in Italy. The findings state that levels of metals and ... Read more

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017

Onetime Malaria Therapy Pyrimethamine Reduces Levels of ALS-linked Protein, Study Finds

News

The former malaria therapy pyrimethamine reduces levels of an ALS-linked protein in the spinal fluid of patients whose disease stems from gene mutations, a Phase 1/2 clinical trial shows. ... Read more

June 20, 2017

Clinical Trial Tests H.P. Acthar Gel as Potential ALS Treatment

News

Mallinckrodt has launched the Phase 2b PENNANT trial (NCT03068754) to investigate the safety and effectiveness of H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ... Read more

June 13, 2017

ALS Patients Shift Cognitive Function Away from Brain Regions with Neuron Loss, Study Shows

News

ALS patients compensate for neuron loss in some brain regions by stepping up activity in other regions, according to a study. The finding suggests that analyzing patients’ brain networks ... Read more

June 6, 2017

ProMIS Neurosciences Hopes to Develop an ALS Therapy Around a Component of a Faulty Protein

News

ProMIS Neurosciences hopes to develop an ALS therapy around a component of a protein that is faulty in the disease. The TDP43 protein’s abnormality leads to it becoming misfolded — that is, ... Read more