A study found that genetic mutations associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lead to problems with the function and transport of mitochondria, cellular structures needed for energy production, early in the disease course, before abnormal protein clumps are formed. “We show that the nerve cells, termed motor neurons, that…
Adding a low dose of the anti-inflammatory molecule interleukin-2 (IL-2) to treatment with riluzole is safe and may help extend survival in certain people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to findings from a clinical trial called MIROCALS. The Phase 2b trial didn’t show a significant survival benefit in…
Implanting a sensor in a region of the brain that helps to control speech was shown in a U.S. study to not only decode the intended speech of a man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but also to help this patient control a computer mouse. According to the researchers,…
Arizona-based Brad Smith has become the first person with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to receive a brain implant from Neuralink as part of an ongoing clinical trial. The implant, which is designed to allow users to control a computer using only their thoughts, has granted Smith newfound independence…
Treatment with regulatory T-cells, or Tregs — a type of anti-inflammatory immune cell — was well tolerated and seemed to slow disease progression in a small clinical trial that enrolled six people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The work was conducted by scientists at Columbia University in New…
A combination of three drugs — one of them the experimental therapy CuATSM — may be effective for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by mutations in the SOD1 gene, according to a new preclinical study. In mice carrying SOD1 mutations, the combination of these three drugs — CuATSM,…
A rare mutation that leads to abnormally high activity of the CREB3 protein is associated with a reduced risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and people with ALS who carry this mutation progress significantly more slowly and live longer than those who don’t. That’s according to the study,…
Scientists have developed a novel method to efficiently grow motor neurons from skin cells, which may serve as a platform for creating cell therapies to treat diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The new method was described in two papers — one titled “Compact transcription factor cassettes…
A bipartisan team of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate is pushing for legislation to help ensure that spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have access to benefits. The Justice for ALS Veterans Act was introduced in the House by Brian Fitzpatrick,…
Measuring blood levels of neurofilament light chain, or NfL, a biomarker of nerve damage, may help in diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in predicting the risk of death among people with the neurodegenerative condition, a new study shows. This biomarker showed substantially better accuracy for both ALS diagnosis…
