News

Researchers have, for the first time, managed to selectively alter gene expression in brain motor neurons of mice modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) without affecting other neurons in the motor cortex. The results are a major step forward in efforts to develop gene replacement therapy for ALS. “The brain is…

Oregon State University researchers were able to stop the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) for nearly two years in a specific type of mouse model. The treatment allowed the animals to live for 650 days – 500 days longer than any other previous treatment has managed.

Biopharmaceutical company Neuralstem presented new and potentially promising results from its clinical investigations of NSI-566 — human spinal cord-derived neural stem cells for the treatment of conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — at the recent Phacilitate Cell & Gene Therapy World conference in Washington, D.C. Karl Johe, the company’s chairman and chief scientific officer, reported that two clinical trials…

A report from the Boston University School of Public Health shows that Gulf War Illness is a result of exposure to pesticides and other toxins used in the Gulf War. The report also notes that in addition to Gulf War Illness, deployed Gulf War veterans suffer higher rates of stroke, brain cancer and…

The U.S. Department of Defense announced that nine researchers are the winners of the 2015 ALS Research Program (ALSRP), which aims to improve treatment and find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by funding preclinical research into the disease. The winners were announced in a press release by the ALS…

Entrepreneur Kevin Gosnell announced the launch of ALS ONE – a partner organization of the ALS Association and ALS Finding a Cure that aims to bring world-leading experts in neurology and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care together to realize an ambitious goal: finding a new ALS treatment within four years.

University of Kyoto researchers discovered that a protein associated with a gene involved in cancer suppression, the VHL protein, and a protein that rescues cells from hypoxia (low oxygen) conditions, cullin2, are both involved in ALS progression. This discovery can lead to the identification of therapeutic targets for ALS treatment. The…

Researchers have identified an essential protein, Pur-alpha, for motor neuron cells’ mechanisms of defense against external stress and degeneration and also as a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). The research paper, “Pur-alpha regulates cytoplasmic stress granule dynamics and ameliorates…

A recent review summarized the effects of immune system dysregulation and neuroinflammation in the regulation of critical pathways associated with depression and other brain disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The researchers specifically focused on extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential biomarkers and drug delivery vehicles. The review, “Neuroinflammation and Depression: Microglia Activation, Extracellular Microvesicles…

Cytokinetics Inc. has presented its Vision 2020: Empowering Our Future – an initiative designed to expand the company’s pipeline until 2020, as well as advance its muscle biology-directed drug candidates toward late-stage development and marketing strategies, to tackle the unmet medical needs of people living with impaired muscle…