An old friend stopped by with a gift of homegrown microgreens. She’s a retired nurse, and she used to help with nighttime care for my husband, Todd, who has ALS. She visited for a while, and we updated her on Todd’s health and decline in lung strength. I…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to InFlectis BioScience’s experimental therapy IFB-088 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Orphan drug status is given to treatment candidates with the potential to be safe and effective in rare diseases. In the U.S. rare diseases are defined as…
“By the rivers of Babylon Where we sat down And there we wept When we remembered Zion But the wicked carried us away in captivity Required from us a song How can we sing King Alpha song In…
Regulus Therapeutics, in partnership with researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has initiated studies to evaluate a library of molecules designed to suppress microRNA-155 (miR-155) — a small molecule that regulates the activity of other genes — as a potential treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The agreement, effective…
Lately, I’ve been pondering the many ways our lives have changed for the sake of safety, like tamper-proof packaging, airport screening, and two-step password verification. I get it. Identity thieves are everywhere, so are scammers, along with the just plain crazies. We might be a little safer, but I…
Cells contain certain chaperone proteins that can break down the protein clumps found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease, but don’t always activate the right proteins at the right time, a recent study shows. “[The cells] do not always realize there is a problem, or know…
A new rapid test is under development that will be able to detect seafood and water levels of an environmental toxin called beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), the exposure to which has been implicated as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The efforts will be spearheaded by Brain Chemistry…
NeuroSense Therapeutics will soon begin a Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate the impact of food on PrimeC, a combo medication being developed as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in a group of healthy volunteers. The open-label Phase 1 trial (NCT05232461) is expected to enroll…
Last Sunday, the temperature was in the high 40s, making the tracks in the cross-country ski trail smooth and fast. A gurgling brook carried away snowmelt from a long winter. Birds sang. Two chipmunks scampered up a tree, one chasing the other. Spring skiing is one of my favorite…
A novel system that involves electrodes implanted in the brain allowed a 34-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who had completely lost the ability to move voluntarily — known as a “locked-in” state — to communicate with his family again. Using the system, the man was able to…
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