Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is financing eight new research projects aimed at developing new treatments and markers of disease progression for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The projects will investigate ALS mechanisms of disease, genetic causes, and pinpoint new therapy targets that can be used to develop better treatments. The…

Rates of invasive assisted ventilation are 3.2 times higher in African Americans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared to Caucasian patients, which may explain why African American patients live longer, according to a recent study. The study, “Racial differences in intervention rates in individuals with ALS: A case-control study,”…

Long-term mercury exposure over a period of years may increase the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis later (ALS) in life, a case report suggests. The study, “Heavy metal intoxication and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causal or casual relationship?” was published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help detect muscle damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, in particular muscles that are difficult to access using standard techniques, a small study finds. The research was published in an article, titled “A pilot study assessing T1-weighted muscle MRI in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,”…

Biochemist Dorothee Dormann, PhD, at the Ludwig Maximilians University, in Munich, was awarded the 2019 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers for her groundbreaking work showing that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) share common underlying processes that drive disease development.

Occupational exposure to silica is linked to a significantly increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a population-based study suggests. The study “Multicentre, population-based, case-control study of particulates, combustion products and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk” was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. The cause of…

Loss of normal ion flow in the skeletal muscle may worsen symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a mouse study shows. Researchers have identified several targets that rescue iron flow, namely chloride, in skeletal muscle, highlighting their potential in developing new therapies. The study, “Elucidating the Contribution of Skeletal…

Loss of a protein known as ubiquilin causes defects in degradation centers called lysosomes, promoting the buildup of brain waste in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, a fruit fly study has found. The study, “Ubiquilins regulate autophagic flux through mTOR signalling and lysosomal acidification,” was published in…

A gene therapy designed to block the activity of SARM1 protein prevented the loss of axons ­­­­— long projections that connect nerve cells and transport information ­­­­— making the therapy a potential strategy to reduce the loss of peripheral nerves in several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a mouse…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients who complete the ongoing Phase 3 REFALS clinical trial evaluating levosimendan (also known as ODM-109) will soon have the opportunity to enroll in an open-label extension study. Levosimendan is an oral treatment developed by Orion that is being investigated for its ability to relieve breathing…