Large ALS Data Analysis Reveals Common Genetic Cause of Disease

Researchers have found that mutations in the NEK1 gene are the most common genetic causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), accounting for 3 percent of North American and European ALS patients, both sporadic and familial. The study, “NEK1 variants confer susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” published in…

Researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht recently studied quality of life among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and found that anxiety and depression impact poorer health related quality of life (HRQoL), while higher levels of religiosity and spirituality are associated with better overall (global) quality of life (QoL). The research paper,…

How cells recycle waste, an essential process to cellular health known to go astray in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases, is more complex and interrelated than previously thought, researchers at the Neuromed Institute in Italy report. Their study, “The Autophagoproteasome a Novel Cell Clearing Organelle in Baseline and…

ProMIS Neurosciences announced the start of a research program to identify new therapeutic targets on neurotoxic strains of a protein, TDP43, implicated in the development of  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). TDP43 (TAR DNA-binding protein-43) is present in every cell and plays a key role in the response to oxidative stress, an…

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute who are researching methods for enhancing stem cell models for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have found that “aging” the cells could improve studies for potential disease treatments. The mature cells more closely reproduce ALS pathology seen in patients, they said. The research paper, “…

Researchers reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of animal models currently used for ALS research, in the study “From animal models to human disease: a genetic approach for personalized medicine in ALS,” recently published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications. Through the study, authors suggest that promising therapies are on…

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics reported data from its recently completed Phase 2 clinical trial of NurOwn in 48 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a recent press release. The trial achieved its primary endpoint; treatment with NurOwn was found generally safe and well tolerated. NurOwn…

Researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), along with colleagues at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, conducted a study focusing on the unexplored functions of a gene whose mutations are found in a significant number of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The findings supply evidence of a…

In a recent interview, Dr. David Perlmutter discussed new and exciting gut microbiome theories that could change the way the medical community looks at human health in general and neurological diseases, such as ALS, in particular. The new perspectives could lead to therapies focused on the root of the problem, instead…

Attempting to lower a specific protein that is higher in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers discovered that the protein does not contribute to the disease as believed. Instead, it protects neurons from rampaging inflammation. The findings, published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics under the title “Genetic ablation of IP3 receptor 2…