News

Interferon-gamma therapy may help delay familial ALS: Cell study

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) due to mutations in the FUS gene may benefit from interferon-gamma treatment to delay disease onset and/or progression, an early preclinical study suggests. Researchers found that an immune signaling protein called interferon (INF)-gamma protected patient-derived motor neurons from oxidative stress. INF-gamma also restored…

NIH grant will help launch the ALL ALS research consortium

The Barrow Neurological Institute has received $16.7 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help coordinate a nationwide repository of clinical data of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Access for All in ALS (ALL ALS) Consortium will serve as a repository of biological samples and clinical…

Cytokinetics calls for proposals for 6th Communications Grant Program

Cytokinetics is calling for proposals from patient advocacy organizations focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and cardiovascular conditions for its 6th annual Communications Grant Program. The 2024 program will award five grants totaling $20,000 each to groups serving the ALS, heart failure, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy communities. These…

Spinogenix awarded $1M to advance clinical testing of SPG302

Spinogenix has won a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to move ahead with clinical testing of SPG302, a small molecule candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This is DoD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ second grant to the company, following a…

Takeda acquires license to ALS therapy aimed at toxic TDP-43

Takeda has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license to AcuraStem’s investigational therapies targeting the PIKfyve enzyme, including AS-202, a potential treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that ultimately aims to lower toxic TDP-43 protein buildup in nerve cells. While Takeda will be responsible for clinical development,…

Trial of brain-computer interface device for ALS now enrolling

Neuralink is recruiting participants — including people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — for the first-in-human trial of its investigational brain-computer interface, designed to enable individuals with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initially cleared the study in May under…