ALS Association Grants $2M for Gene Therapy Research at UMass Medical School

The ALS Association is awarding a $2 million grant to the ALS ONE-Massachusetts Partnership that will partially sponsor a University of Massachusetts Medical School project led by Robert H. Brown, Jr., MD, PhD, a world-renowned specialist in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The grant will help Brown and colleagues develop two gene…

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending that ibudilast (MN-166) receives orphan medicinal product (orphan drug designation) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MediciNova is currently focusing on the development of ibudilast for neurological disorders…

https://vimeo.com/124556645 In this video from the ALS Association Texas chapter shared in 2015, we meet Steve. A recently retired chaplain for the federal prison system from Fort Worth, Texas, Steve is about to get married to his longtime sweetheart, Anna. Meet pastor Kevin Kinchen, who hasn’t let his ALS…

A woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), who had lost nearly all capacity to communicate, is now able to successfully interact with her surroundings using a brain-computer interface implant, according to a recent article in New Scientist magazine. The device is thought to be the first used in a patient’s daily life, without the need…

Researchers in China recently evaluated the changes of ferritin levels in the brain’s cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). They found that ALS patients exhibited significantly increased levels of ferritin, an iron-based protein, a result that indicates ferritin has value as a biomarker and could be used for…

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan, in collaboration with several U.S. institutions, suggest that the collapse of the mitochondria‐associated membranes (MAM) is linked to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mitochondria‐associated membranes regulate calcium levels, mitochondrial function, and cell death in the body, and have been linked to neurodegenerative…

https://vimeo.com/168979927 In this short video from the ALS Association Texas Chapter, the early symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are discussed using simple computer-generated animation. Discover seven facts about ALS you might find interesting.  ALS is difficult to diagnose in the early stages as the symptoms presented can often…

New research points to evidence that physical fitness, body mass index (BMI), IQ, and stress resilience in young adults might play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “Physical and cognitive fitness in young adulthood and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at an…

Incorporating music therapy into standard treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients may improve the patient’s quality of life, according to new research. The study, “Active Music Therapy Approach In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Randomized-Controlled Trial,” was published in the International Journal of Rehabilitation Research. “[T]he sonorous-music and…

https://vimeo.com/124559355 In this video from the ALS Association Texas chapter shared in 2015, we meet the talented young artist, Alexis. Alexis has loved drawing since she was a child, but the progression of her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) condition has meant that she can now no longer draw with paper and pencils. However, she…