“Be intent upon the perfection of the present day.” –William Law Today I experienced an uninterrupted utopia, recognizing that utopia may be a subjective, non-absolute concept, best expressed in the eye of the beholder. Allow me to describe what l beheld. It began with an unwanted, mildly disturbing occurrence. In…
A Picture Perfect Start to My Day?
MediciNova has completed enrollment for its Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the investigational therapy MN-166 (ibudilast) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The trial (NCT02714036) has enrolled 35 ALS patients who will be treated with 100 mg daily doses (50 mg twice a day) of MN-166. The…
Events leading to the loss of nerve cell fibers called axons appear to take place independent of Sarm1, a molecule known to promote the death of axons in damaged nerve cells, researchers working in mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) report. Rather, the team concluded, other pro-degenerative factors — possibly…
Patients from India with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are younger at disease onset and show longer duration of symptoms compared to patients from western countries, according to researchers. Their study, “The profile of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in natives of Western Himalayas: Hospital-based cohort study,” appeared…
Strong feelings of being sleepy during daytime hours are much more common in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients than the general public, and appear to be associated with poorer cognitive skills and greater behavioral problems, a study from China reports. Its researchers suggested that their findings, if confirmed in larger studies,…
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BrainStorm Update Ensures Funds for Completion of Phase 3 NurOwn Trial, Announces 2 New Patents
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics’ latest financial results guarantee enough capital to complete the ongoing Phase 3 trial of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapy candidate NurOwn, according to an update from the company. In addition, the company recently announced it has received patents in Japan and Europe for NurOwn.
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To ‘B’ or Not to ‘B’?
That is the question. Vitamin B, that is. And any other nutritional supplement. Shortly after ALS crashed my party, I was introduced to the book “Eric Is Winning,” by Eric Edney. Edney was a long-term ALS survivor (over 20 years) who attributed his longevity to a regimen that included,…
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Herbal Formula May Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in ALS Patients, Mouse Study Suggests
Gamisoyo-San (GSS), an herbal formula widely used in Asian countries to treat depression, anxiety and other conditions, significantly reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in mice in a study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting that GSS could be used as an alternative treatment with fewer side effects than conventional…
The accumulation of TDP-43, a widely expressed nuclear protein that binds both DNA and RNA, causes RNA instability in nerve cells derived from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). That leads to disruption of energy and protein production, and eventually causes cells’ death. Those findings were described in the…
Researchers have detailed the structural changes that occur in the protein hnRNPA2 when it is mutated in diseases related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “Mechanistic View of hnRNPA2 Low-Complexity Domain Structure, Interactions, and Phase Separation Altered by Mutation and…
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