Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Toxic compounds produced by cyanobacteria, which have been identified as risk factors for developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), were detected in air and earth samples collected around the Great Salt Lake in Utah, a study reports. “An understanding of the types and concentrations of cyanotoxins present in air is…

SOL-257, an experimental one-time gene therapy, was well tolerated and significantly improved disease outcomes in two distinct mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Developed by Sola Biosciences, SOL-257 is designed to clear the toxic TDP-43 protein that accumulates and forms clumps in ALS nerve cells, contributing to…

Pregnancy can worsen the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regardless of whether symptom onset occurs before or during pregnancy, according to a review study. Still, most of the cases reviewed showed that ALS did not affect a woman’s ability to give birth, naturally or by cesarean section, or…

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) due to mutations in the FUS gene may benefit from interferon-gamma treatment to delay disease onset and/or progression, an early preclinical study suggests. Researchers found that an immune signaling protein called interferon (INF)-gamma protected patient-derived motor neurons from oxidative stress. INF-gamma also restored…

A newly developed cell-based system, made of nerve cells connected to muscle fibers, may allow the rapid, large-scale screening of potential medicines for neuromuscular conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Applied automated imaging methods, which are responsive to the new system, can be used to visualize and measure…

Treatment with regulatory T-cells (Tregs), a type of anti-inflammatory immune cell, reduced biomarker levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study shows. The experimental approach may help curb these contributions to nerve cell damage in ALS, the findings suggest, and routinely…

Increased accumulation of p62, a protein involved in a cellular recycling process called autophagy, in the spinal cord is associated with worse survival outcomes in people with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study revealed. Autophagy is the cellular process responsible for breaking down proteins and other complex molecules…

While neurologists are frustrated with the treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) now on the market, they rapidly adopt new therapies that may delay disease progression for use among their patients with the neurodegenerative disorder. That’s according to Spherix Global Insights, a company providing market research and business…

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA), which had been testing a once-daily regimen of its oral therapy Radicava ORS (edaravone) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), announced that it is discontinuing the Phase 3b trial and its extension study. That decision comes after an interim analysis by an independent…

Six months of treatment with clenbuterol, an asthma medication, slowed disease progression in adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a small U.S.-based Phase 2 clinical trial. Despite these promising preliminary findings, more than half the participants withdrew from the study due to side effects. “Nonetheless,…