Astrocytes in Nervous System Seen to Protect Motor Neurons from Toxicity of Clumps

Astrocytes — cells of the nervous system cell that provide support to neurons — were seen to help protect motor neurons from damage caused by toxic protein clumps in a cell model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study reporting this finding, “Distinct responses of neurons…

Factors like head trauma or fracture, electric shock, playing some competitive sports, drinking water from private wells, use of herbicides for gardening, and taking specific dietary supplements all may be associated with the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a new study. However, larger studies are required…

I didn’t react when a spine care specialist mentioned ALS as a possible cause of my husband’s weak arm, because I didn’t know what ALS was. Todd and I talked about daily life during the drive home from the appointment, and it wasn’t until later that evening when the kids…

A neurotoxic amino acid called β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) fed to vervet monkeys caused damage to the spinal cord similar to what is seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), potentially making them a much-needed new animal model for research, a study reported. Adding L-serine, a non-toxic amino acid, to their diet…

Starting a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit isn’t easy, but the National Organization for Rare Disorders gave a few tips for those  looking to begin the complex process in its Feb. 20 webinar.  William Whitman…

“I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.” That sentiment, expressed by comedian Groucho Marx in 1949 about his affiliation with a particular social organization, was exactly my reaction in learning of…

Aiforia Technologies and NeuroScience Associates (NSA Labs) are collaborating in an effort to learn more about how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects brain function. The project leverages NSA Lab’s neuroscience expertise and Aiforia’s artificial intelligence (AI) know-how. It came about after the donation of the entire…

The other day, I was chatting with a friend about Rare Disease Day. Wait, what? You don’t know about Rare Disease Day? Well, don’t feel bad. Last year I missed it, thinking it was just another ho-hum awareness event. But I’ve learned the value of events such as this…

Biotech company EnClear Therapies has announced $10 million in financing to help advance its proprietary platform for stopping the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The investments comes from a Series A financing round, which is part of an early development stage for start-up…

Mutations in the C9ORF72 gene, the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), lead to changes in how cells process ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein, a new study shows, shedding light on the mechanisms through which such mutations…