Several species of bacteria and fungi were found living in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that could potentially be related to the development of the disease, a study reports. However, according to the researchers, more studies are still needed to confirm if…

Growing up in Iowa, I knew that silos were beneficial for farmers who used them to store grain and corn. When I entered the workforce, silos were a negative thing. It was a term used to describe how some departments or managers don’t share information with other departments…

A specific type of supporting cells called Schwann cells protect against nerve degeneration induced by the blood-clotting protein thrombin, according to new research in mice. Researchers say the findings could have implications for treatment development in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s. The study, “…

Biochemist Dorothee Dormann, PhD, at the Ludwig Maximilians University, in Munich, was awarded the 2019 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers for her groundbreaking work showing that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) share common underlying processes that drive disease development.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker may facilitate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients’ diagnosis and disease monitoring, a study finds. The study, “Is the Hypointensity in Motor Cortex the Hallmark of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?,” was published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. ALS is a progressive neurological…

Occupational exposure to silica is linked to a significantly increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a population-based study suggests. The study “Multicentre, population-based, case-control study of particulates, combustion products and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk” was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. The cause of…

Markers of oxidative stress, iron metabolism in the brain and nerve cell damage may accurately predict disability in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to new research. The study, “A ferroptosis-based panel of prognostic biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” appeared in the journal Scientific…

Examining the genetic risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may become a lot easier with a user-friendly tool called ALSgeneScanner, which is meant to be used by non-specialists such as health care professionals and patients. The method is able to analyze DNA sequencing data from patients and distinguish…

New genetic mutations in the coding sequence of the GLT8D1 enzyme have been identified and linked to inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study reports. Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. and their collaborators found that these GLT8D1 gene variants prevented the normal functioning of the enzyme, which…

People affected by depression before being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have a higher risk of developing cognitive impairments at later stages of the disease, a study says. The findings of the study, “Depression and risk of cognitive dysfunctions in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” were…