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…
TDP-43 Accumulation Causes RNA Instability in Nerve Cells of ALS Patients
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…
A new guide outlines the benefits of a multidisciplinary team approach to provide the integrated medical and mental treatment that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients often need. The guide, titled “A Guide to Understanding the Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)…
The active molecule of Petinutin (methsuximide), an anti-epileptic medication, eased motor deficits, extended the lifespan, and showed potent neuroprotective effects in a worm model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting a potential new treatment strategy for multiple neurodegenerative diseases, a study reports. The study, “α-Methyl-α-phenylsuccinimide ameliorates neurodegeneration…
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Stumbling Upon an ALS-free Zone
“Hope is the thing with feathers” –Emily Dickinson Recently, my wife and I went to see a stand-up comedian at our local indoor stadium. My fervent hope was that our evening together would be a unifying, restorative one. It was in that spirit that we performed all of the mental and…
IONIS-SOD1Rx (BIIB067), an investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) developed by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, was shown to prolong survival and reverse neuromuscular damage in mouse and rat models…
Swallowing. It’s such a simple thing to do! We’re born with the ability to swallow; it happens automatically, and the average person does it approximately 600 times a day. I mean, who actually thinks about swallowing? Well, I do, now that I’ve joined the nearly 80…
CannTrust is getting ready to launch a clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of its cannabidiol (CBD) oil capsules on slowing the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases (MNDs). This new study is the result of a collaboration between Canada-based CannTrust and…
Restoring or artificially raising levels of a protein found in the spinal cord, mitofusin 2, worked to prevent nerve degeneration, muscle atrophy, and paralysis in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, researchers report. As this protein is often depleted in ALS patients — and drops with aging —…
Dear Congress, The recently enacted federal Right to Try Law (RTT) is really a “Right to Ask” law. And, for the pharmaceutical companies, it’s a “Right to Say No.” Which they certainly almost always will. Case in point: BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics pre-emptively announced that NurOwn, its ALS stem cell treatment candidate,…
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