Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

Researcher awarded $10K to advance work on ALS therapy

A professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School was awarded $10,000 by Mass General Brigham (MGB) for her work to restore the levels of stathmin-2, a protein that is disrupted in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a related neurodegenerative condition, as a possible…

ATH-1105 protects against common ALS, FTD disease mechanisms

Athira Pharma’s experimental therapy ATH-1105 shows anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, promoting neuron growth and reducing damage associated with mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a related condition. The small molecule reduced inflammation and the buildup of a faulty version of TDP-43, a protein that’s…

Study uncovers 2 therapies to help target autoimmune inflammation

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) — an oral medication approved for multiple sclerosis — and H-151, an experimental treatment, can suppress inflammatory and abnormal immune pathways thought to be involved in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These are the findings of a study using immune cells from sporadic ALS patients…

EMA committee leaning toward not recommending AMX0035 approval

A committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is leaning toward not recommending a conditional approval of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ AMX0035 for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the European Union. The drug is already marketed in the U.S. under the name Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol) and…

ALS costs may reach $1.02B each year in US, study finds

There are currently up to 18,000 people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the U.S., with national costs likely to reach $1.02 billion each year, a study has found. Researchers also observed that men, white people, and veterans appear more likely to develop the disease. “However, large-scale, population-based…