Measuring blood levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can help physicians track the disease, according to an Italian study of 394 people with ALS. Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals of San Bruno, Calif., believes this study further supports the idea that ALS may respond to inflammation-modulating…

Genervon Biopharmaceuticals has published the results of a somewhat promising Phase 2a clinical trial investigating the effects of GM604 (or GM6) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “A Phase 2A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of GM604 in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS Protocol GALS-001)…

Scientists have found a potential protein biomarker in the cerebrospinal fluid of people carrying the most common mutation linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — suggesting that this protein may be useful to test the effects of drugs to treat this form of ALS in future clinical trials. The study, “Poly(GP) proteins are…

Occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) could trigger amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a Dutch study shows. The study, “Occupational exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a prospective cohort,” appeared in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Given that only 5 to 10 percent of ALS cases are hereditary, scientists…

Last week, former NFL player Dwight Clark revealed that he’s been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). According to a report in the LA Times, the 60-year-old first started experiencing symptoms in 2015 when he began losing strength in his left hand. How to support someone diagnosed with a terminal illness.  Clark announced…

Researchers have found a link between small amounts of metals in the blood in a group of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and the occurrence of the disease in a geographical area that has a higher rate of ALS. While this occurrence cannot be considered to be the sole cause…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients follow no distinct swallowing pattern, and this may account for the development of swallowing difficulties over time that can lead to life-threatening choking, a study reports. The research, “The Importance Of The Reproducibility Of Oropharyngeal Swallowing In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: An Electrophysiological Study,” was…

A previously unknown mutation in the BICD2 gene caused juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a Chinese woman in her 20s, according to a case study. The gene had previously been linked to other neurodegenerative conditions, prompting researchers to believe that the mutation can give rise to ALS when other…

Urine levels of a protein component known as p75ECD may be a valuable biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study. The research, “Urinary p75ECD: A Prognostic, Disease Progression, And Pharmacodynamics Biomarker In ALS,” was published in the journal Neurology. The National…

Schizophrenia in relatives of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients is caused by shared genetic factors that increase the risk of both conditions, researchers confirmed. This prompted them to contend that scientists should view ALS as a disease of brain connections, rather than of individual brain cells. The way to treat…