Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which leads to severe disability. Although there are treatments such as Rilutek and Radicava that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, they can only slow the progression of symptoms. There is great scope to…
TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid) is a small molecule that is being explored for its potential as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Research has shown that TUDCA can decrease nerve cell death, a hallmark of ALS, through its ability to act as an antioxidant that prevents…
Telbivudine is a synthetic nucleoside developed by Novartis and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the brand name Tyzeka for the treatment of hepatitis B. A recent study identified telbivudine as a potential treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). How…
People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have problems gaining and maintaining weight due to swallowing difficulties and digestive symptoms associated with the disease, resulting in malnutrition and energy deprivation. A neurologist and trained dietitian can help develop individual meal plans to suit the specific needs of patients…
Insufficient intake of nutrients and energy (malnutrition) and weight loss are common in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Decreased food intake occurs mainly because of symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, as well as issues with hand grip and movement. In addition, digestive symptoms can…
Gleevec (imatinib mesylate), marketed by Novartis, is an oral medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating certain types of cancer, such as leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Gleevec also is being investigated in preclinical studies as a potential treatment for…
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes muscle stiffness, twitching, and weakness in its early stages. As the disease progresses, patients have difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing, in addition to body…
A 1992 episode of the hit television series “Seinfeld” is a “life-imitating-art” story titled “The Pitch.” The character of George Costanza (with brief help from Jerry Seinfeld) attempts to explain the concept for a new show to fictional NBC executive Russell Dalrymple: George: I think I can sum…
RaDaR, the catchy new name for the U.S. government-run Rare Diseases Registry Program, aims to help patient advocacy groups with limited resources build their own disease registries. The site was developed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a division of the National Institutes of…
“What one man can do, another can do.” So said actor Anthony Hopkins, playing the role of Charles Morse in the movie “The Edge.” He used that mantra as inspiration to fell a rogue, predatory grizzly bear. It may be hyperbolic to equate the difficulties of securing one’s…
