ALS therapy target: Integrin that spurs immune cells to ‘eat’ neurons

A “velcro-like” protein called alpha-5 integrin consistently is found at high levels in immune cells near motor neurons being damaged or killed in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and those of mice in a disease model, a study reports. Blocking the protein in the mice slowed disease progression,…

For a while now, I’ve been keeping tabs on the new technologies of virtual assistants, voice activation, and artificial intelligence (AI), especially its potential benefits for the ALS community. Some of it I’ve tried, with iffy results. Others, like AI, are on my wish list to help erase ALS…

An into-the-nose (intranasal) formulation of edaravone — the active ingredient in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) medication Radicava — may enhance the medication’s ability to reach brain tissue, according to a recent study. The formulation, which was made by packaging edaravone into tiny carriers called nanoparticles, was found…

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spend time less asleep and wake up often during the night, a new analysis shows. Because good sleep is critical for quality of life, the findings emphasize the importance of testing sleep quality in ALS so appropriate treatments can be given if needed,…

InSilicoTrials and Axoltis Pharma are teaming up to advance the development of NX210c, the latter’s lead candidate for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Axoltis will use InSilicoTrials’ simulation platform to see how well NX210c works in virtual simulations that mimic brain and…

A professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School was awarded $10,000 by Mass General Brigham (MGB) for her work to restore the levels of stathmin-2, a protein that is disrupted in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a related neurodegenerative condition, as a possible…

A family friend visited last week, prompting a trip down memory lane to the days long before my husband, Todd, had ALS. My teenage daughter and her boyfriend sat on the couch behind us, while Todd, our friend Abby, and I sat around the kitchen table sharing memories…

New Brunswick is reimbursing, through its public health insurance program, the cost of Albrioza (sodium phenylbutyrate and ursodoxicoltaurine) for eligible residents living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Canadian province is the country’s fourth to provide public coverage for the oral therapy — marketed in the U.S.

Six months of treatment with clenbuterol, an asthma medication, slowed disease progression in adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a small U.S.-based Phase 2 clinical trial. Despite these promising preliminary findings, more than half the participants withdrew from the study due to side effects. “Nonetheless,…

It’s long been known that some molecules are misplaced in the nerve cells that progressively die in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but a new study shows this affects hundreds of different molecules, not just a handful, as previously thought. “This research represents a shift in our thinking about what…