Slower Progression Seen in US Veterans Living Longer Than Disease Norm

A comparison of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among U.S. military veterans found those who lived the longest with this disease — an average of 16.3 years in more than 40% of those studied —  had a younger age at onset but slower initial progression.  Findings…

Low doses of Clinigen’s aldesleukin, an immunotherapy used in certain types of cancer, safely boosted the number and function of regulatory T-cells (Tregs), a type of immune cell that keeps others in check, in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a pivotal Phase 2…

When I was a child, my elderly great-aunt Martha joined my family every Christmas Eve to participate in gift opening. I felt bad that she only got one present while my brothers and I received so many. But she seemed happy with the pair of slippers or homemade ornaments my…

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has received a $20,000 ALS Association grant to continue its research collaboration with Crestwood Medical Center in Alabama. Called “Impacting ALS,” the project’s goal is to identify genetic changes that contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with the overarching goal…

“Baby steps.”  That was the advice imparted to Bob Wiley by his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin, in the movie “What About Bob?“ Wiley, portrayed by Bill Murray, has a perfect storm of maladies including perhaps bacillophobia…

microRNAs found in brain-derived exosomes — microscopic vesicles containing genetic material, proteins and fats shed by cells into the bloodstream — may be useful blood biomarkers to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study reported.

Oh my! We’re still facing challenges brought on by the pandemic and most likely will continue doing so for some time. Right now I’m feeling the loss of being able to sit down with friends to chat and catch up on the little things in our lives. My many ALS…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to Clinigen’s aldesleukin for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aldesleukin is a lab-made version of the interleukin 2 (IL-2), an immune signalling molecule known to play a key role in the maintenance of a…

Clusterin, a protein that plays a key role in motor neuron health, and ficolin-3, a protein essential for the activation of immune responses, may be promising biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a recent study. The study, “Levels of clusterin, CD5L, ficolin-3,…

The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases has launched a nationwide National Burden of Rare Disease Survey to measure the full implications, economic and social, of living with rare disease in the United States. People with rare diseases know that the impacts of such conditions extend beyond just medical…