Preventing the TDP-43 protein from entering mitochondria may be a treatment option for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a new report. But while blocking the abnormal process is possible in mice, the compound used is not suitable for humans. To overcome this, researchers are using multiple approaches in their…
Surgery to insert a feeding tube directly into the stomach of late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients can be made safer by adapting procedures now in place for high-risk patients, identified with the help of a tool for stratifying patients according to risk. The study, ”A risk stratifying tool to…
Cognitively healthy amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients have brain damage that mirrors their subtype of the disease, researchers have learned, and patients with bulbar-onset ALS have more widespread brain tissue loss — a finding that could explain why the patients fare worse than others. In their study, “Relationship between…
Researchers have gained new insight into a cell’s mechanism to get rid of faulty molecules that would otherwise contribute to the development of several neurological diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The discovery of this “quality control” mechanism may help in the development of new therapies to prevent neuronal damage…
The European Union’s Joint Programme — Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) invites researchers in 20 countries to work together in conducting and analyzing projects into various neurodegenerative diseases, so that they might identify common links and underlying mechanisms. Such “pathway ” analyses, the JPND said in a release, “could lead…
High levels of 25-hydroxycholesterol, a cholesterol-related molecule, may trigger neuronal death and accelerate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression, according to a new study. The finding could lead to new ALS therapies that target the molecule. The study, “25-Hydroxycholesterol Is Involved In The Pathogenesis Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” was published in the…
Low levels of vitamin D, found in the majority of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are linked to more extensive loss of movement, but do not predict the course of disease over a year. Instead, researchers found that taking vitamin D supplements was associated with a faster decline. The study’s…
The Duke University ALS Clinic and the Freelon Foundation have announced a partnership to expand the school’s research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The partnership will involve establishing an endowed professorship, providing funding for clinical trials, and increasing the number of patients the clinic can treat. Phil Freelon, who founded the Freelon Foundation…
Genervon Biopharmaceuticals has published a list of 89 genes associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that are modulated by its drug candidate GM6. The identification of the genes regulated by GM6 helps to explain the mechanism of action of this treatment, which aims to improve neuronal repair and survival, and…
A new program at the University of Pennsylvania will pursue ways to use gene therapy and genome editing to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Program of Excellence for Motor Neuron Disease, launched by researchers at the Orphan Disease Center (ODC) in the university’s Perelman School of Medicine, will receive…
