WALKs for ALS to Build on Ice-bucket Challenge Momentum Toward Making ALS Treatable

Blood serum levels of progranulin, a key protein to both neuronal survival and neurodegenerative diseases, are not adequate measures of progranulin levels in the brain. As such, they cannot serve as a biomarker for diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers report in a study titled “Serum Levels of Progranulin…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes the muscles to slowly shut down. Swiss Medica shared this video where a patient from the UK talks about how an alternative treatment with stem cell therapy has helped and improved her life with ALS.

A recent study in mice could provide the first step toward a new way of treating amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The research report, “Chronic administration of AMD3100 increases survival and alleviates pathology in SOD1G93A mice model of ALS,“ was published on May 26 in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. In…

More than $200,000 was raised for Compassionate Care ALS (CCALS) during gala dinner May 21 at the Fairmont Copley hotel, in Boston. The fundraiser aimed to support patient and family care for those affected with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Noted celebrity attendance included former WCVB-TV weatherman Dick Albert and Bachelorette & Bachelor…

Scientists are constantly looking for new ways to make medicine more personalized. One way they are doing this is by researching stem cells. These researched cells are undifferentiated, which means they don’t have a specific job or function because of this they have the potential to become other kinds of…

Researchers investigating the processes of muscle degeneration and regeneration in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) gained new knowledge of the pathways involved in muscle denervation and reinnervation. Specifically, they examined how proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle stem cells are affected by ALS, and potential biomarkers for disease progression. The study, “Skeletal Muscle Remodelling…

The American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting(AAN 2016), in Vancouver, British Columbia, featured significant advances in the understanding and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Among presentations at the April event, were ALS focused studies conducted by Dr. Sara van Mossevelde, Dr. Adriano Chio, Dr. Lindsey Hayes, Dr.

New research reports that environmental pollutants appear to influence the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “Association of Environmental Toxins With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” was published in JAMA Neurology by University of Michigan researchers working on pesticide and other environmental exposures. “From the first ALS patient I…