The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed new challenges on diagnosing, monitoring, and caring for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), from the absence of in-person visits to a lack of available equipment at hospitals. But the expansion of telemedicine may be a way to overcome these challenges, and allow…

For people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) currently on non-invasive ventilation, modifications to existing equipment may help to minimize risk of an infection for both them and their caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The equipment adaptations were discussed in a letter to the editor, “Modification…

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA) has set up a support program for adults living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and wanting to learn more about this disease and Radicava (edaravone), an intravenous ALS treatment the company markets in the U.S. Called JourneyMate, the program connects ALS patients…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given fast track designation to Orphazyme’s investigational therapy arimoclomol for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A therapy candidate is put on the FDA’s fast…

Levels of creatinine kinase — a marker of muscle damage — are elevated in most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and appear to be significantly higher among those whose disease progresses at a slower pace, a study in patients and mice shows. These findings suggest that this protein, whose rise…

Changing the composition of bacteria in the gut using antibiotics or fecal transplants may help prevent or reduce the severity of symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study in mice with the most common ALS mutation shows. This gut-brain connection may help explain why some patients with this…

The clear, colorless liquid that fills and surrounds the brain and spinal cord may spread toxic protein aggregates from one nerve cell to others among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study in mice suggests. When repeatedly infused with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from ALS patients, animals…

Exposure to a neurotoxic molecule produced by blue-green algae seems to raise a person’s odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly for those under 65, a population-based study from Italy shows. The research examined individuals who lived close to freshwater systems — a river, lake, even a…

Rare variations in the TET2 gene seem to double a person’s risk of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study. This gene codes for a protein involved in removing small chemical groups from DNA…

NurOwn, a cell-based therapy that protects and helps repair nerve cells, also may be able to curb the damaging brain inflammation that contributes to the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), recent findings suggest. Researchers believe this newly-found potential may extend the…