The microRNA-218 (miR-218), produced at excessive levels by damaged or dying nerve cells, may be a therapeutic target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an animal study suggests. This molecule was found to disrupt the normal function of astrocytes, star-shaped glial cells found throughout the central nervous system (brain…
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A newly developed test, known as the arrows and colors cognitive test, can be used to measure cognition in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients who have severe motor and verbal disabilities. A study about that assessment tool, “The Arrows and Colors Cognitive Test (ACCT): A new verbal-motor free cognitive…
An exploratory anti-cancer therapy may halt the characteristic toxic accumulation of TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), researchers suggest. The preclinical study, “Poly(ADP-Ribose) Prevents Pathological Phase Separation of TDP-43 by Promoting Liquid Demixing and Stress Granule Localization,” was published in the journal…
The first patient has been dosed in a Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03491462) evaluating the effectiveness of Orphazyme’s investigational therapy arimoclomol in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). One of the disease mechanisms known to be involved in the development of ALS is protein misfolding and aggregation…
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Physicians Asked to Help ALS Patients Die Must Evaluate Motivations, Alternatives, Case Report Says
Physicians who help amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients die should carefully evaluate their motivations, capacity, and care goals, while also discussing alternatives with their patient, according to researchers. An ALS patient case and commentary, “How Should Physicians Care for Dying Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?” appeared in the…
MND Scotland has initiated a clinical trial to test the tolerability and effectiveness of interleukin-2 in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND). The trial is now recruiting participants. Interleukin-2, which is used for treatment of some rare types of cancer, is…
Researchers developed a computational model able to recognize amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) based on patients’ speech patterns, suggesting it may one day be a non-invasive and low-cost way of evaluating disease severity and likely progression, possibly in a person’s home. The study, by scientists at IBM Thomas…
Drinking alcohol seems to have no influence on the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a large population-based European study suggests. The study, “Association between alcohol exposure and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Euro-MOTOR study,” was…
A new optimized protocol for the use of a noninvasive ventilation technique called bi-level positive airway pressure (Bi-PAP) allows patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to live twice as long as they normally would if they received the standard protocol, according to researchers. Their findings were reported in the…
High-tech communication devices, such as eye-tracking computer systems (ETCS), improve quality of life and enable caregiver-independent interaction of severely disabled patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, technical aspects and patients’ cognitive impairment are among the factors still limiting their use. The review study titled “Communication…
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