ALS is a disease that progressively shuts down your muscles by attacking certain cells in the brain and spinal cord needed to keep our muscles moving. Eventually, patients will lose their mobility, have trouble moving, walking, swallowing and even breathing. There is no known cure for ALS and the treatments available…

Boston-based Flex Pharma has announced positive topline results from its exploratory Phase 2 trial testing investigational therapy FLX-787 in Australian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with frequent muscle cramps. The data showed that FLX-787 significantly reduced the intensity of cramp-associated pain and stiffness compared to placebo. The positive results support the…

Being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a difficult and stressful time. You’ll probably feel incredibly overwhelmed in the first few days and weeks, and struggle to understand the ramifications involved. To help with the process, we’ve compiled a list of tips for patients who have recently been diagnosed with…

Scientists have long linked abnormal versions of the protein TDP-43 to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, but they haven’t had a full understanding of how it causes nerve cell deterioration. A Japanese study in mice indicates that elevated levels of the normal version of TDP-43 can play a role in…

This ALS Association video is all about Nanci Ryder. Nanci is a much-loved Hollywood publicist who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2014. MORE: Four ALS heroes the ALS Association honored for outstanding contributions The ALS Association’s Golden West Chapter has honored Nanci as one of their…

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has awarded an MDA Venture Philanthropy (MVP) grant worth $233,200 to Iron Horse Diagnostics to support the development of a biomarker test for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the United States. The prognostic test, which was released in Europe in June under a license agreement…

Researchers at Germany’s University of Würzburg have discovered how a malfunctioning autophagy – a cell’s natural self-degradation and cleanup system – plays a central role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases. The study, “Plekhg5-regulated autophagy of synaptic vesicles reveals a pathogenic mechanism…

The other day, while skimming through a list of reader comments on ALS News Today, I ran across one remark that stopped me in my tracks. It was a complaint regarding the photo that accompanies this column. The reader thought the woman in the wheelchair looked too healthy…

Option Care Enterprises, a Chicago-based independent provider of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, has partnered with the ALS Association to offer Radicava (edaravone) treatment from the comfort of their homes. To date, more than 100 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients are already receiving Radicava — the first…

Repeated severe trauma to the body or mild injuries to the head — especially at midlife — raise a person’s risk of ALS, a European case-control study from the EURALS consortium shows. The new research, “Trauma and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a european population-based case-control study from…