This week, Stephen Hawking turned 76. While 76 doesn’t seem all that impressive with many living past 100 in this day and age — for Hawking, it’s simply remarkable. Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he wast just 21 years old. At the time of his…
NeuroSGC, a new scientific partnership formed by the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) aims to discover new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease — both of which currently lack effective therapies. Drug discovery for these and other neurological…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to the American CryoStem Corporation of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, for marketing Atcell, the company’s adipose-derived stem cell product, without FDA approval. In its warning letter, the FDA noted “significant deviations from current good manufacturing practice requirements, including some…
While few of us choose to become caregivers, many of us are faced with the task if a loved one is diagnosed with a chronic disease. The transition is a strange time for everyone involved, as the nature of the relationship changes for both the caregiver and patient. However, it is…
I’m one of those folks who follow daily life routines. Simply put, it’s a series of predictable habits that bring structure to my life and help me maintain a positive attitude while living with ALS. But try as I might, my daily routines did not survive the past…
Researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada are enrolling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients for a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the potential therapeutics effects of a well-established antipsychotic drug called Orap (pimozide). The research team, led by Dr. Lawrence Korngut, associate professor at the…
First in a series of two columns on creating a plan to treat depression. In my last column on preventing and identifying depression, I promised to create a guide to help you come up with a perfectly individualized plan to treat your depression. Just as no…
Sangamo Therapeutics and Pfizer will work together on gene therapies they hope will overcome mutations that cause ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Gene therapy works by delivering a healthy copy of a malfunctioning gene to a patient. The therapy that Sangamo is developing replaces a faulty C9orf72 gene. It consists…
This illustrated video from Stichting ALS Nederland briefly explains the neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MORE: Could exercise help ALS patients with swallowing? It explains the progression of the disease and how it affects patients. ALS causes the brain and spinal cord to stop transmitting signals to…
Cell stress, such as a viral infection, may trigger the production of faulty proteins from the C9orf72 gene, a leading contributor of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), say researchers at the University of Michigan. Their study, “RAN translation at C9orf72-associated repeat expansions is selectively enhanced…
