News

The levels of certain indicators of iron status, namely ferritin and transferrin, are altered in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) relative to healthy controls, suggesting a possible link between iron metabolism and ALS, a study has found. The results, “Abnormal Serum Iron-Status Indicator Changes in…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is investing $25 million over five years in a program to encourage innovative research that deepens our understanding of  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with a goal of better treating the disease. Called Accelerating Leading-edge Science in ALS (ALS2), the initiative aims at…

Caffeine, an antioxidant with neuroprotective properties, was seen to promote the normal development of lab-cultured motor neurons isolated from a mouse model of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Similar results were also found with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in its oxidized form (NAD+), a metabolic cofactor…

Each June 21 marks Global Day 2020, 24 hours set aside to heighten awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to raise money to fight it. Ample ways exist to participate in the worldwide event that’s coordinated by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, whose member organizations…

Mutations in the UBQLN2 gene, known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), promote the buildup of toxic waste in brain cells by preventing the normal function of two cellular degradation mechanisms, a study has found. In addition to its known role in the proteasome, a mechanism used…

Denali Therapeutics and Sanofi announced a pause in clinical testing of their small molecule inhibitor DNL747 in favor of work on a possibly more effective compound, DNL788, for neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. DNL747 was seen to be safe…

Genetic variants of the NEK1 gene that cause the coded protein to lose its function seem to increase the odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by more than ninefold, with these patients significantly more likely to experience weakness in their hands as a first symptom, a study has…