Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Early data from Phase 2 programs showing that CNM-Au8, an oral therapy candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), induced significant reductions in a nerve damage biomarker but did not meet the criteria for accelerated approval at this time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded. Despite the…

Treatment with Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol) significantly reduced blood levels of neuroinflammatory biomarkers in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as early as three months, according to a post hoc analysis of the CENTAUR trial. Data from the Phase 2 study (NCT03127514) demonstrated that reductions in…

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…