Exposure to a neurotoxic molecule produced by blue-green algae seems to raise a person’s odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly for those under 65, a population-based study from Italy shows. The research examined individuals who lived close to freshwater systems — a river, lake, even a…
Rare variations in the TET2 gene seem to double a person’s risk of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study. This gene codes for a protein involved in removing small chemical groups from DNA…
NurOwn, a cell-based therapy that protects and helps repair nerve cells, also may be able to curb the damaging brain inflammation that contributes to the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), recent findings suggest. Researchers believe this newly-found potential may extend the…
As I waited for the postmaster to bring my package to the counter, I tried to think of what I had ordered. Nothing came to mind. He set the brown box on the counter and said, “Here you go,” through his fabric mask. The package, measuring about 12 inches by…
ProMIS Neurosciences announced its program for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is advancing, and scientists were able to generate a specific type of antibody against toxic TDP-43 protein clumps — a hallmark of this disease — that continuously damage nerve cells. These antibodies, called intrabodies because they…
The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) has opened an online survey to better understand how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting people with rare diseases, their families, and caregivers. Survey questions cover a patient’s physical and mental health, supply of treatments, and access to healthcare, among other…
Donald Rumsfeld, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense, once stated at a Defense Department briefing in 2002 that, “There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are…
A student bioengineering team at Washington State University (WSU) has designed a mattress to help amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and others with sleep or mobility issues rest better. The students — seniors Katie Lober, Jackson Rieb, and Sarah Schroeder — hope to patent their invention and also…
Did you know that rollators were invented nearly 40 years ago? A Swedish woman with polio added four wheels to her walker, and the idea was an instant success. Most of us who use a rollator don’t really care about its history. We’re just happy they exist to help…
ALS Awareness Month has been observed each May since 1992. But this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced supporters to rethink ways to raise funds and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In previous years, May has been full of fundraising and educational activities such as outdoor bake…
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