I’ve lived in the shadow of my husband Todd’s ALS for the past 13 years. My days have been clouded by the bitter reality of knowing that life will only get harder until it’s over. The daily stresses of my caregiving are intense: clearing his airway when he…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shared its major concerns with data available for NurOwn, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics‘ experimental stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). According to a new briefing document put out by the FDA, the agency believes that currently…

A first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical study evaluating how safe and well tolerated is CVN293, a treatment candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease, the therapy’s developer, Cerevance, announced. The treatment, given orally, is designed to block a protein…

Disaster preparedness, including stockpiling goods, owning and knowing how to use emergency equipment, and being aware of community resources, is lacking among amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and caregivers, a recent Japanese study suggests. While patients who needed a ventilator were generally found to be better prepared during power…

Last week, I set my husband, Todd, up on his computer before heading out for my weekly ukulele group. It’s difficult to leave my husband for long, because he’s paralyzed by his ALS. But my class lasts only an hour and I’d be less than 10 minutes away. In…

A newly developed cell-based system, made of nerve cells connected to muscle fibers, may allow the rapid, large-scale screening of potential medicines for neuromuscular conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Applied automated imaging methods, which are responsive to the new system, can be used to visualize and measure…

When the TDP-43 protein is less able to form two-protein complexes called dimers, it appears to be more likely to form the toxic clumps seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study reports. As these clumps are found in about 97% of all ALS cases, a better understanding of the…

Scientists have devised a technique for transplanting healthy motor neurons — the nerve cells that are lost in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — in a mouse model with “highly aggressive” disease. Transplanted motor neurons, given stimulation, were able to form healthy connections with muscle cells to control the animals’ muscle…

Akava Therapeutics will soon launch a Phase 1 clinical trial to test AKV9, its investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in healthy people. The trial follows the clearance of Akava’s investigational new drug (IND) application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It will be AKV9’s…

My late husband, Jeff, made a dream come true for me. When I was a kid, my dad would take our family on our small powerboat to explore the waters near my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. If we had enough time and the weather cooperated, we’d take a…