The ALS Game Board of Life

I’ve always looked forward to December; it’s a month filled with decorations, holiday gifts, and happy social gatherings. But this month eight years ago, I was diagnosed with ALS, so December now marks a sad point in my life as well. Like so many who live with…

A new research project that will investigate the seemingly unrelated mechanisms between neurodegenerative diseases and infections has been awarded $2.5 million from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). The funding was awarded to Ivan Marazzi, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New…

Graphene, a material made up of a thin sheet of carbon, may be used in the future to detect and measure biomarkers able to identify patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a recent study. The study, “Quantum Capacitance Based Amplified Graphene Phononics for Studying…

Biogen has decided to exercise its option to acquire from Ionis Pharmaceuticals the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize BIIB067 as a potential treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The decision to license the investigational therapy is covered under the terms of a collaborative agreement between the two companies…

Global asset management company Affiliated Managers Group (AMG) has announced a $20 million matching gift to establish the Healey Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, the goal of which is to accelerate the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatments. With this gift, which will fund over time,…

Depression and anxiety in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, even at low levels, are linked and should be addressed together, a study reports. Moreover, according to the study, support to caregivers is essential as the patient-caregiver relationship is of key importance in coping with ALS. The study, “Death…

A natural compound found in certain fruits and vegetables, called resveratrol, may help boost the ability of mesenchymal stem cells taken from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients to transform into mature nerve cells, researchers in Korea report. This finding, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Tissue…

It’s hard to live in the present when the past feels as close as my shadow. I can’t stop thinking about the things I have lost. I’m nearly immobile, so the things I miss most are physical. I miss my feet touching the ground. I miss the…

Anelixis Therapeutics has begun dosing patients in the first human trial of its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment candidate, AT-1501, the company announced. The trial is currently enrolling both healthy volunteers and eight ALS patients to test AT-1501’s safety and tolerability. Researchers will also examine how the agent behaves…

An experimental gene therapy based on RNA interference (RNAi) shows potential to treat patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene, according to results of a preclinical study in nonhuman primates. The study, “Safe and effective superoxide…