Essential Oils: ALS

Can Aromatics Help ALS? Essentials oils are the newest trend. But better known as aromatherapy, they’ve actually been around for centuries. There’s plenty of research behind this aromatic fad that helps to alleviate many health conditions. We’ve uncovered some ways essential oils can help with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.      The…

Several studies have shown that oligodendrocytes, cells that normally protect neurons, can also contribute to neuronal death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Now, researchers demonstrate this toxic turn of events and show how these cells induce neuronal death. This finding may encourage new therapies for ALS to target the dysfunctional activity…

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals has initiated the second Phase 2 clinical trial of NP001 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with the goal of confirming the clinical findings of the previous Phase 2 study in ALS patients with elevated levels of baseline inflammation. The study is currently recruiting…

By introducing a mutation in SOD1 — the protein believed to be responsible for a large part of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases — researchers managed to prevent the protein from clumping in a way that kills neurons. The study, “A Phosphomimetic Mutation Stabilizes SOD1 and Rescues…

Cigarette smoking may speed progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and reduce survival in patients with the disease, according to a new collaborative study from Italian universities and research institutes. The study, “Influence of cigarette smoking on ALS outcome: a population-based study” was published in The Journal of Neurology…

With ALS, what you eat depends on the progression of the disease. Some people may need soft foods or foods that are easy to swallow. A diet rich in antioxidants can also be beneficial. This curry chicken salad recipe is chock full of fruits and vegetables that are rich in…

Most patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) develop respiratory problems in the advanced stage of their disease and are put on chronic ventilator support to improve their symptoms. Now a new study shows that despite improved respiration, the patients’ quality of life may worsen over time. The study, “Is Chronic…

Recent research identified molecules in  the cerebrospinal fluid of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,  particularly phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNfH), to be likely biomarkers for diagnosing ALS. ALS, an aggressive neurological disorder, is now diagnosed based on clinical evaluation. Biomarkers in the diagnostic process would allow clinicians to more easily distinguish ALS from…

Because of increasing evidence of metabolic disturbances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, researchers at the University of Queensland tested whether ALS could be targeted at the metabolic level. Results indicate that by increasing energy sources with the triglyceride supplement triheptanoin, they could delay motor neuron loss in an animal model.

Engineers at MIT have developed a device that replicates the neuromuscular junction — the connection between motor neurons (the type of neurons that communicate and stimulate muscles, coming from the spinal cord) and muscle cells. The tool, which gives researchers access to technology in the lab that recreates how neurons stimulate muscles,…