Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

Motor neurons’ size may make them vulnerable to ALS

Human motor neurons rely on a specialized molecular architecture to help support their large size, which may partially explain why they are more vulnerable than other nerve cells to damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). That’s according to the study, “A cellular taxonomy of the adult…

Soft wearable robot improves arm function for people with ALS

A wearable robotic device that helps lift the shoulders to support arm movements can make it easier for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to do daily tasks, a new study reports. Using the lightweight device — now a fabric-based robot prototype — led to significant improvements in upper…

ICER releases analysis on cost of ALS therapies

Note: This story were updated Feb. 14, 2023, to correct that ICER analyses found both Radicava ORS and Relyvrio are not cost-effective for the treatment of ALS. The recently approved therapies Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol) and …

Scientists Grow Mature Nerve Cells From Stem Cells

Scientists have developed a new method that allows them to grow mature nerve cells from stem cells — a technique that could be applied to study diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “For the first time, we have been able to see adult-onset neurological protein aggregation in the stem…

Bosutinib, Blood Cancer Therapy, Safe and May Help Some With ALS

Bosutinib, an inhibitor approved to treat a blood cancer, showed no unexpected safety concerns in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with some patients experiencing slower disease progression while on the therapy, results from a Phase 1 clinical trial showed. Larger clinical trials are needed to confirm if bosutinib…

Top 10 ALS Stories of 2022

ALS News Today brought consistent coverage of the latest research developments and advances in treatment related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) throughout 2022. We look forward to continuing to serve as a resource for the ALS community in the new year. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the…

New Deal Helps Move Gene Therapy ET-101 Closer to Clinical Testing

Eikonoklastes Therapeutics and Forge Biologics have announced a new partnership to advance the development of ET-101, an experimental gene therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), toward clinical trial testing. Eikonoklastes acquired the rights to ET-101 from the University of California San Diego earlier this year. Under…