How I Took a Vacation from ALS

Hello again! I’ve just returned from my summer vacation — my month-long vacation from ALS! No, I didn’t suddenly escape my disease or experience a miraculous recovery; my ALS is most certainly still here. My vacation was a mental vacation; an abstention from any and all ALS-associated media;…

Cytokinetics has awarded the ALS Association Golden West Chapter with its first communications fellowship, part of a company initiative directed at nonprofit organizations to increase public education and awareness of their programs and care services, as well as to elevate patients’ voices. “As a longstanding partner…

Requip (ropinirole), a medication already approved to treat Parkinson’s disease, may be a potential therapeutic agent for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a preclinical study. The study, “Modeling sporadic ALS in iPSC-derived motor neurons identifies a potential therapeutic agent,” was published in the journal…

The balance between copper isotopes (variants) – but not copper levels – is disrupted in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a recent study. Copper isotope composition potentially may be used as a biomarker of ALS, distinguishing it from other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. The study, “…

Love, according to the Bible’s First Epistle to the Corinthians 13:7, “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” As Labor Day approaches in the U.S., it is fitting to honor the one occupation that, within the above context, may aptly be characterized as a labor of love. Thank God…

Nasal administration of two neuroprotective proteins, called Activin A and SerpinB2, reduced brain damage in a mouse model of stroke, a new study shows. These findings  suggest that nasal delivery of these proteins also may have clinical relevance for neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s and…

Combining structural brain imaging with molecular and clinical biomarkers allows for a detailed assessment of a patient’s clinical state, regardless of age and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression, a new study suggests. The study, “Combinatory Biomarker Use of Cortical Thickness, MUNIX, and ALSFRS-R at Baseline and in Longitudinal Courses of…

Stem cell transplants given to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients were safe and feasible whether infused intravenously or via the spinal cord, data from two small Phase 1 trials from Iran show. However, the treatment was not seen to slow disease worsening in efficacy measures studied as secondary trial goals…

Impaired tightening of the pharynx is associated with inefficient swallowing in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a new study. The study, “Reduced pharyngeal constriction is associated with impaired swallowing efficiency in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),” appeared in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom has granted permission to Tikomed to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ILB, an investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The trial will take place at…