Learning to Cherish a Room With a View

Last week, I ended this column with a tongue-in-cheek inference that in deference to an improbable ALS curse befalling me, I would not share two near-disaster experiences anytime soon. This week, I am reneging on that prediction with the following disclaimer:…

The ALS Association has awarded $470,000 in scholarships to 94 students in the U.S. whose lives have been financially affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Each scholarship recipient receives $5,000 annually through the organization’s Jane Calmes ALS Scholarship Fund to help cover education costs. Awardees for the…

What a long, crazy summer it’s been, as we’re living with minimal social interaction and long periods of isolation. Parts of our lives have changed without our consent, and we have to be on the lookout for developing symptoms. And those are just the challenges of living with ALS…

Inhibiting the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) protein lessens the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study in mice. However, a full deletion of the RAGE gene shortens the lifespan of mice, highlighting the complex role of this protein in the context of neurodegeneration.

The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases has launched a scholarship fund in the U.S. to support individuals with rare disorders who are pursuing personal goals through training and education. The initial phase of the five-year, $1-million #RAREis Scholarship Fund will include 32 scholarships — each totaling $5,000 —…

Innovate UK has given a grant to Reflection Therapeutics to help fund research into new ways of protecting the nervous system from motor neuron diseases, with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as an initial focus. The Innovate Smart Grant, which is reported to be…

Researchers report having created a new human-on-a-chip model, one able to more accurately simulate the clinical features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in people. The chip uses motor neurons — the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles — derived from stem cells isolated from ALS patients. This approach…

Years before my husband was diagnosed with ALS, I coordinated a tutoring program in Milwaukee. Many of the children and teens I worked with lived with stress and instability in their homes and neighborhoods. For some kids, just consistently showing up to school and the tutoring program was an accomplishment…

The greater incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among professional athletes and people with head trauma, and the faster functional decline seen in animal models after localized nerve injury, strongly suggests that nerve injury plays a role in initiating disease processes, a review study reported. Needed avenues of future…

“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, You don’t spit into the wind, You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, And you don’t mess around with Jim.” Based on recent events, I might add…