Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

A team of scientists in the U.K. and Japan has determined the structure of aggregated TDP-43, the protein whose abnormal clumps are characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Their work, reportedly the first to reveal the molecular structure of aggregated TDP-43, identified a “double-spiral fold” of the protein in patients’ brain…

A decision is expected by May from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on an application seeking approval of an oral formulation of edaravone (MT-1186) — one with a similar clinical profile to Radicava — as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The FDA is now…

ALS News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific breakthroughs and clinical research related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) throughout 2021. We look forward to continuing to report for the ALS community in 2022. Here are the 10 most-read ALS news articles of the last year, with…

Athletes who have played in the National Football League (NFL) are significantly more likely than the general population to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a new study. “These findings indicate that athletes who played in the NFL have a nearly 4 times greater rate of developing, and…

While it’s long been believed that the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord is the main cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), new research suggests that degeneration of motor neurons in the brain takes place independently and may also contribute to the disease. The study’s work in…

An abnormal version of tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease, may contribute to the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by damaging mitochondria in neurons, according to a new study. The findings suggest that decreasing tau levels might be a new therapeutic strategy to lessen mitochondrial dysfunction in…

Using a new laboratory model of brain cells, researchers demonstrated that cells with mutations associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) show early signs of DNA damage and other forms of cellular stress. Results suggest that blocking these cellular stress processes may hold promise in treating ALS. The study, “…

Tofersen, an experimental treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with mutations in the SOD1 gene, failed to significantly slow the rate of disease progression relative to a placebo in a Phase 3 trial. These top-line findings mean that the VALOR study (NCT02623699), which is testing tofersen in…

A signaling protein called neurturin promotes the development of muscles with greater endurance, leading to better exercise performance and coordination, according to a new mouse study. The results suggest that therapeutic approaches using neurturin — for example, using a gene therapy that encodes the protein — might be useful…

A five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant worth $2.4 million will support an Emory University researcher’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately and quickly — in real time — decode the electrical signals sent by the brain to control movement. Its ultimate goal is to find ways to “reconnect” the…