A Typical Day in My Life With ALS
“Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head.” These are the first two lines of the bridge that Paul McCartney contributed to The Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life,” the…
Search results for:
Cerebrospinal Fluid May Transport ALS Toxins, Mouse Study Suggests
The clear, colorless liquid that fills and surrounds the brain and spinal cord may spread toxic protein aggregates from one nerve cell to others among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study in mice suggests. When repeatedly infused with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from ALS patients, animals…
Neurotoxin of Blue-Green Algal Blooms May Raise Risk of ALS
Exposure to a neurotoxic molecule produced by blue-green algae seems to raise a person’s odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly for those under 65, a population-based study from Italy shows. The research examined individuals who lived close to freshwater systems — a river, lake, even a…
Rare Variants in TET2 Gene May Double Person’s Risk of ALS, Similar Ills
Rare variations in the TET2 gene seem to double a person’s risk of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study. This gene codes for a protein involved in removing small chemical groups from DNA…
NurOwn May Curb Damaging Brain Inflammation in ALS Patients, Study Suggests
NurOwn, a cell-based therapy that protects and helps repair nerve cells, also may be able to curb the damaging brain inflammation that contributes to the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), recent findings suggest. Researchers believe this newly-found potential may extend the…
The Monster That ALS Is
Donald Rumsfeld, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense, once stated at a Defense Department briefing in 2002 that, “There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are…
WSU Students Design Mattress to Help ALS Patients Sleep Better
A student bioengineering team at Washington State University (WSU) has designed a mattress to help amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and others with sleep or mobility issues rest better. The students — seniors Katie Lober, Jackson Rieb, and Sarah Schroeder — hope to patent their invention and also…
Pandemic Moves ALS Awareness Month Events and Activities Online
ALS Awareness Month has been observed each May since 1992. But this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced supporters to rethink ways to raise funds and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In previous years, May has been full of fundraising and educational activities such as outdoor bake…
Target ALS, AFTD Award $5M to Support Research Projects
Grant awards totaling $5 million will support six academic-industry projects into potential biomarkers and treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Target ALS and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) announced. The two groups joined to support this collaborative work as ALS and…
Agriculture Work and Exposure to Pollutants May Raise ALS Risk
Agriculture and other areas that expose people to pesticides, paint solvents, electromagnetic fields, and heavy metals may increase their odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a population-based study from Italy shows. But larger studies are needed to confirm these findings, its researchers wrote, as only some risk factors…