As part of ALS Awareness Month, we’re looking at some of the research into ALS and which populations are more likely to develop the disease. Over the years, researchers have focused on the connection between firefighters and various diseases, including cancer and heart disease, but recent studies have shown that firefighters are more…
An electromyography (EMG) is one of the key tests in diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is also referred to as “needle EMG” and is normally performed alongside nerve conduction studies. Muscle movement is controlled by electrical signals passed from motor neurons (a type of nerve cell). In most cases…
Mutations in the UBQLN4 gene may contribute to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to recent research. The study, “A novel ALS-associated variant in UBQLN4 regulates motor axon morphogenesis,” was published in the journal eLife. Over the years, researchers have identified numerous genes linked to ALS, but the list…
May is ALS Awareness Month, so it is timely that on May 5, the FDA approved the first new treatment in 22 years for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The drug, Radicava (edaravone) has been found to slow down the decline of physical ability in ALS patients by a third.
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has begun training the cell manufacturing team at City of Hope’s Center for Biomedicine and Genetics to produce NurOwn adult stem cells for a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Los Angeles-based City of Hope will be the clinical…
AB Science will suspend its ongoing masitinib studies in France in patients with cutaneous mastocytosis. However, its studies in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can continue. The pharmaceutical company said it received notice from the French medicines agency Agence Nationale de la Sécurité des Médicaments,…
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, or nerve cells controlling muscle movements. Symptoms of ALS can occur at any age but usually begin around ages 55 to 75 and progress gradually. Muscles in arms and…
A gene therapy aimed at strengthening the connection between motor neurons and muscle prevented nerve degeneration and increased the life span of mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study showed. Since researchers believe that neurodegeneration in ALS starts at the junction between nerves and muscle, the findings suggest that…
More than 260 Dutch Bros. Coffee locations in seven American states have raised $970,037 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association‘s patient-services and research programs, which include ALS, the disease that claimed Dutch Bros. co-founder Dane Boersma. To honor Boersma, the company calls its annual fund-raiser Drink One for Dane Day. In addition…
In this video from Eugene Speech-Language Therapy LLC, Eugene explains some of the ways that a speech-language therapist can help those who suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MORE: Researchers use Hollywood technology to track ALS speech changes. She shares that speech therapy can help…
