José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

GPM Investments raised $244,263 for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular disorders in its eighth holiday pinup fundraiser in 2018 in partnership the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Approximately 1,400 GPM convenience stores throughout the East Coast and Midwest regions of the U.S. participated in the campaign, including…

A new diagnostic score accounting for age at disease onset and motor neuron dysfunction in the brain is able to distinguish amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from other neuromuscular disorders early in disease process, a study reports. The study, “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnostic index: Toward a personalized diagnosis of ALS,”…

Suppressing an enzyme known as MAP4K4 extended the survival of motor neurons collected from mice and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and decreased the accumulation of toxic proteins associated with the disease, a study reports. These findings from the study, titled “MAP4K4 Activation Mediates Motor…

A new, more targeted rat model of swallowing problems may lead to better understanding of ways to preserve and even restore tongue function in patients with amoytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study. The study, “Hypoglossal Motor Neuron Death Via Intralingual CTB-saporin (CTB-SAP) Injections Mimic…

Treatment with the anticonvulsant Potiga (ezogabine) lessened abnormal motor neuron excitability, or responsiveness, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to top-line results of a Phase 2 clinical trial. Findings were presented at the recent 29th International Symposium on ALS/ Motor Neurone Disease in Glasgow, Scotland, by Brian…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with impaired swallowing show loss of taste perception, according to a new study. This problem is greater in patients requiring a feeding tube. The findings also suggested that using a device reproducing original food flavor may improve the patients’ quality of life. The study,…

The brain’s waste clearance pathway, known as the glymphatic system, could enable more efficient delivery of therapeutics into the brain for the treatment of disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and brain cancer, according to a study. The study, “Transcranial optical…

A gene therapy effectively and safely lowered the production of a key amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) protein called superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in primates, according to a new study. “This level of silencing, coupled with the lack of adverse effects, suggests that this approach to treating ALS should be…

People with multiple rare mutations in genes known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are significantly more likely to develop this disease at younger ages, a study in Japanese patients reports. The study, “Burden of rare variants in causative genes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) accelerates…

Treatment with a compound called inosine over 12 weeks increased the levels of the antioxidant urate, a neuroprotective agent, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a pilot trial. The investigational therapy also showed a positive safety and tolerability profile, indicating it might have potential as an…