“The mind ought sometimes to be diverted that it may return to better thinking.” –Phaedrus (Plato) During these surreal times that shake us to our core, a mindless diversion is welcome: Have you heard the one about the three professional killers who walked…
With Apologies to Ian Fleming: Squaring Off with ALS and COVID-19
Mutations in the TBK1 gene — often associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — seem to have a dual role in progression of the disease, causing it to emerge earlier in animals models of ALS, but then slowing in later stages. This paradoxical role, according to a results…
I’m an avid trend-watcher and enjoy tracking how new phrases and products end up permanently woven into our daily lives. For example, only a few months ago, a mention of flattening the curve or social distancing would cause most folks to shrug their shoulders. Now, both phrases have become rallying…
By blocking the activity of the proteasome — a complex of enzymes responsible for the destruction of unnecessary or damaged proteins — dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins associated with C9ORF72 gene repeat expansions (the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) can travel between nerve cells…
The onset and early progression of motor and cognitive symptoms, specific by disease type to each amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient, are determined by age and sex, and to some extent by mutations in ALS genes, a large data study has found. The study, “ALS phenotype is influenced…
AB Science plans to launch a Phase 3 clinical trial testing the safety and effectiveness of its tyrosine kinase inhibitor masitinib as an add-on treatment for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Its announcement follows U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the company’s investigational new…
Since my husband was diagnosed with ALS a decade ago, we’ve adapted to this difficult life in ways I never would have expected. After leaving rural Michigan for college in Chicago, and then living in Milwaukee, I didn’t think I would end up living in a handicap-accessible house across the…
First, the bad news: If you’re one of the 30 million or so Americans with a rare disease, you probably have lower immunity to the novel coronavirus than most people. Now, the good news: You already know how to face loneliness and adversity — qualities that make you far stronger…
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is hosting an online Q&A session today to discuss the best ways that people with neuromuscular diseases might protect themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 30-minute session can be accessed on the MDA’s Facebook page, and starts at 6 p.m. EST. People with…
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Talking Trash with ALS
The ancient Greeks first introduced the term “parrhesia,” meaning “free speech,” around the end of the fifth century B.C. From a literal perspective, ALS has taught me that the concept is a misnomer. Like nearly everything else, there is…
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