Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) News and Research

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Stem cell transplantation of neurotrophic factors shows promise in ALS

Mesenchymal stem cells cultured to secrete neurotrophic factors can be administered to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis without lasting unwanted effects and may have clinical benefits, indicates a phase I/II safety analysis study.

19 Jan 2016

Researchers identify protein that could protect against toxic degeneration of cells in ALS

J. Gavin Daigle, a PhD candidate at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Graduate Studies, is the first author of a paper whose findings reveal another piece of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) puzzle.

19 Jan 2016

Three new genetic associations identified for primary open angle glaucoma

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have led an international effort to identify three genetic associations that influence susceptibility to primary open angle glaucoma -- the most common form of adult onset glaucoma and the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.

12 Jan 2016

NIH-funded analysis identifies three genes that contribute to most common form of glaucoma

An analysis funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has identified three genes that contribute to the most common type of glaucoma. The study increases the total number of such genes to 15.

12 Jan 2016

Scientists pin down structure of neuronal protein clumps associated with ALS

To create treatments for a disease without any, scientists need to study and understand the driving forces behind the faulty biology. Today, researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine announced the first-ever evidence-based description of the neuronal protein clumps thought to be important in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition.

29 Dec 2015

Aquinnah secures $5 million private equity investment from Takeda

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has received a $5 Million investment from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Limited, in it's first private equity financing. The company has assembled a world-class team of drug developers and an exceptional Scientific Advisory Board in the fields of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), protein and RNA regulation, and neurodegenerative diseases.

21 Dec 2015

Pauses and reversals ‘not uncommon’ in ALS progression

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often have periods of stable disease, with some even experiencing brief improvements, shows analysis of the PRO-ACT database.

18 Dec 2015

Biogen begins ISIS-SOD1 Rx Phase 1/2 clinical study in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its partner, Biogen, has initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical study of ISIS-SOD1 Rx (BIIB067) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

11 Dec 2015

Findings could lead to new treatment for ALS, dementia

University of Toronto (U of T) researchers are proposing a new way of understanding Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the devastating and incurable neurological disease. Their findings, published today in the journal Neuron, could be a major milestone on the path to a treatment for both ALS and dementia.

30 Oct 2015

RUCDR Infinite Biologics awarded $6 million grant from NINDS

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a five-year grant worth up to $6,034,323 to RUCDR Infinite Biologics, a unit of Rutgers' Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey. RUCDR, which is located on Rutgers' Busch Campus in Piscataway, is the world's largest university-based biorepository.

20 Oct 2015

Genetic mutation linked to ALS, FTD prevents proteins from entering and exiting the cell's nucleus

Three teams of scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health showed that a genetic mutation linked to some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) may destroy neurons by disrupting the movement of materials in and out of the cell's nucleus, or command center where most of its DNA is stored.

19 Oct 2015

Role for endogenous retrovirus proposed in ALS pathogenesis

Expression of the human endogenous retrovirus-K is upregulated in some patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and causes degeneration of motor neurons when overexpressed in mice, research shows.

9 Oct 2015

U of T study provides hope for treating ALS and FTD

It's the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but until now scientists weren't sure how a specific gene caused these devastating diseases. Now researchers from the University of Toronto are one step closer to solving this incredibly complex puzzle, offering hope for treatment.

6 Oct 2015

Study suggests link between human endogenous retroviral genes and ALS

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health discovered that reactivation of ancient viral genes embedded in the human genome may cause the destruction of neurons in some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

1 Oct 2015

Research highlights potential new treatment strategy for degenerative diseases

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered evidence of a mechanism at the heart of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related degenerative diseases. The research appears in today's edition of the journal Cell and highlights a possible new treatment strategy for the devastating disorders.

25 Sep 2015

HSCI researchers find surprising similarities between SMA and ALS

Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers studying spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have found what they term "surprising similarities" between this childhood disorder that attacks motor neurons and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

25 Sep 2015

Simple vision test can be a valuable sideline tool for concussion detection in athletes

A timed vision test that involves rapidly reading numbers off of cards can be a valuable sideline tool for detecting whether a concussion occurred while playing sports, according to a meta-analysis and systematic review led by NYU Langone Medical Center concussion specialists.

11 Sep 2015

Cortical hyperexcitability has a driving role in ALS

Cortical hyperexcitability is an intrinsic feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis symptoms in patients carrying the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 gene hexanucleotide repeat expansion, show study findings.

9 Sep 2015

Endothelin system offers potential therapeutic target for ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disorder in which cells of the nervous system die, leading to muscle weakness that impacts breathing, movement and other physical functions.

4 Sep 2015

Researchers create method to watch activity of motor neurons in real time

When you're taking a walk around the block, your body is mostly on autopilot--you don't have to consciously think about alternating which leg you step with or which muscles it takes to lift a foot and put it back down. That's thanks to a set of cells in your spinal cord that help translate messages between your brain and your motor neurons, which control muscles.

3 Sep 2015