Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

A “velcro-like” protein called alpha-5 integrin consistently is found at high levels in immune cells near motor neurons being damaged or killed in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and those of mice in a disease model, a study reports. Blocking the protein in the mice slowed disease progression,…

InSilicoTrials and Axoltis Pharma are teaming up to advance the development of NX210c, the latter’s lead candidate for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Axoltis will use InSilicoTrials’ simulation platform to see how well NX210c works in virtual simulations that mimic brain and…

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…

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…

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…

NurOwn, an experimental treatment, significantly lowered neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in the spinal fluid, a marker of nerve damage, and this seems to predict slower disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. That’s according to a new analysis of Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03280056) data…

VRG50635, an experimental oral therapy being developed by Verge Genomics for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was found to be safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers, new Phase 1 trial data show. Top-line data from the trial (ISRCTN14792372) also showed a promising tolerability and pharmacological profile supporting once-daily…

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…

A new technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) may one day help doctors diagnose people in the early stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a clinical trial. Developed by Pison, the technology was able to detect involuntary muscle twitches, or fasciculations, and changes in…

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…