Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

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…

The loss of a key enzyme, called adenosine deaminase, in astrocytes ­­­­— the energy-supporting cells of neurons ­­­­— leads to a toxic accumulation of molecules that contributes to the death of motor neurons seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study shows. The study, “Astrocyte adenosine deaminase loss increases…

SIRION Biotech and Denali Therapeutics have signed a new licensing agreement to develop a new generation of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, harmless viruses used as vehicles to deliver gene therapies, to allow therapies to reach into the central nervous system (CNS) of people  with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The…

An upcoming webinar will focus on the novel approach to clinical trial design in the Modifying Immune Response and Outcomes in ALS (MIROCALS) trial, which aims to break the current impasse in therapy development for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). During the webinar, P. Nigel Leigh, a motor neuron disease…

MediciNova’s  investigational therapy ibudilast (MN-166) combined with Rilutek (riluzole), for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, has been given final approval — a notice of allowance stating that its request for a patent is being considered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Receiving a notice of allowance is the final…