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A new diagnostic score accounting for age at disease onset and motor neuron dysfunction in the brain is able to distinguish amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from other neuromuscular disorders early in disease process, a study reports. The study, “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnostic index: Toward a personalized diagnosis of ALS,”…

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…

A small molecule known as mir-494-3p might play a protective role in the survival of motor nerve cells, a discovery that could lead to the development of new therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study suggests. The study, “Micro-RNAs secreted through astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles cause neuronal network…

G71.01 is, quite literally, code for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Likewise, Q93.51 stands for Angelman syndrome, and G40.419 covers generalized and treatment-resistant epilepsies, which groups like Orphanet and the American Epilepsy Society define as including Dravet syndrome. All three designations are among some 70,000 others listed in the…

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…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) is updating its 2015 draft guidelines for drug discovery in rare diseases, with new guidance on natural history— how disorders such as spinal muscle atrophy(SMA) run their course if untreated — the choice of “efficacy endpoints” in clinical trials, and how…

Suppressing an enzyme known as MAP4K4 extended the survival of motor neurons collected from mice and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and decreased the accumulation of toxic proteins associated with the disease, a study reports. These findings from the study, titled “MAP4K4 Activation Mediates Motor…

A “new voice” for people who cannot verbally communicate, such as those living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or recovering from stroke, is a step closer to becoming reality. Researchers from the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University have developed a computer algorithm that can recognize a person’s thoughts as…

An immune response triggered by T-cells contributed to the elimination of motor neurons in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study shows. The study, “Cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes expressing ALS-causing SOD1 mutant selectively trigger death of spinal motoneurons,” was published in PNAS. ALS is…