Familial ALS Mutation Seen to Turn Protein That Binds to RNA Toxic, Ultimately Killing Motor Neurons

A mutation, causing an inherited type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), kills motor neurons by giving the protein it produces toxic properties. This protein, which normally binds to RNA, disrupts all RNA processing in the neurons to effectively take away their ability to survive. The study, “Protein-RNA Networks…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also know as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There are two different types of ALS: sporadic and familial. To help you understand more about this disease, we’ve put together…

https://vimeo.com/165626427 There are currently around 30,000 people in the U.S. living with ALS and 15 more people are diagnosed each day. Nanci is a much-loved Hollywood publicist who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2014. Find out more about her story. In this ALS Association of…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with cognitive difficulties show brain damage in areas important to thinking, a finding that may explain why such patients deteriorate more rapidly. The study, “Structural explanation of poor prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the non-demented state,” published in the European Journal of Neurology, also supports…

Researchers in a recent amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) study found that patients had problems reading negative emotions in other people because of changed activity in brain regions associated with emotional recognition. Conversely, patients with more frequent social contacts were able to neurologically compensate. The study, “Perception of emotional facial expressions in amyotrophic…

ALS Quote: Albert Einstein You are a miracle. Choose how you live. Albert Einstein once said, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Use this quote to stay motivated when the daily…

Cytokinetics has enrolled the first patient in the VIGOR-ALS extension trial (NCT02936635), which will assess the effects of tirasemtiv in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who participated in the Phase 3 VITALITY-ALS (NCT02496767) study. Tirasemtiv is a novel skeletal muscle activator that triggers the muscle troponin complex, increasing…

In this short film from Project ALS (a research-based non-profit organization founded by Jenifer Estes), the role motor neurons play in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is discussed. Study validates the use of social cognitive measure in ALS patients. Read more here. The computer-generated graphics explains what happens…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that progressively shuts down your muscles by attacking certain cells in the brain and spinal cord that are needed to keep muscles moving. Eventually, patients will lose their mobility, have trouble moving, walking, swallowing and even breathing. But what exactly is ALS?…

The Les Turner ALS Foundation had about 7,000 people on more than 200 teams support those affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the Les Turner ALS Walk for Life, held Sept. 18 in Chicago. The Les Turner ALS Foundation was founded in 1977 to support research, patient care, and education about…