Antidepressants that suppress the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep are associated with prolonged survival in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to recent research. Because most muscles are paralyzed during REM, this could increase the risk of breathing issues, including possible respiratory failure, in people with…
Antidepressants that inhibit REM sleep linked to ALS survival: Study
We had a whirlwind of activity this past Memorial Day weekend, with friends visiting from out of town. We had blue skies, sunshine, and warmer temperatures than usual. After a long winter and the slow unfolding of spring here in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, it felt like a gift.
Supporters will celebrate the 5th annual Lou Gehrig Day on June 2. The yearly event honors the legacy of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Famer whose high-profile struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) brought widespread attention to the rare neurodegenerative disease. Through awareness and fundraising initiatives,…
A study found that genetic mutations associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lead to problems with the function and transport of mitochondria, cellular structures needed for energy production, early in the disease course, before abnormal protein clumps are formed. “We show that the nerve cells, termed motor neurons, that…
The ALS Network will support a collaborative research effort, at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, that will use electronic health records (EHRs) to identify existing medications that could slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The $300,000 project is aimed at drug repurposing — finding medications already…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a Phase 3b clinical trial to test Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics’ cell-based therapy NurOwn (debamestrocel) in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The trial, ENDURANCE (NCT06973629), is expected to open soon at more than a dozen sites across…
My husband, Todd, hasn’t left our home since a dentist appointment last fall, and he hasn’t been to the park or attended an event in years. He doesn’t want to go out — his ALS progression has made being anywhere outside the house too uncomfortable to enjoy. He’s most…
ATH-1105, an experimental oral therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, was found to be safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers, according to the treatment’s developer, Athira Pharma. The data comes from a first-in-human Phase 1 trial (NCT06432647) that tested the safety and pharmacological…
Adding a low dose of the anti-inflammatory molecule interleukin-2 (IL-2) to treatment with riluzole is safe and may help extend survival in certain people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to findings from a clinical trial called MIROCALS. The Phase 2b trial didn’t show a significant survival benefit in…
MaaT033, an oral therapy aiming to restore balance to the collection of bacteria and other microbes in the gut, was safe and well tolerated after three months and showed signs of slowing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression, according to new data from a pilot Phase 1b trial. The…
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