Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis News and Research

RSS

Aging nerve cells fail to take out the intracellular "trash"

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, have found that with age the neurons or nerve cells fail to perform an activity that they could when they were younger. The team explains that normal cells take out protein and other “trash” or “garbage” through a process of autophagy. This rids the cell of the dysfunctional proteins and aggregates of unused proteins.

22 Jul 2019

Researchers identify new subtypes of motor neurons and microglia present in ALS patients

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis and ultimately death when the nerves enervating the lungs cease to carry the signals needed for breathing.

16 Jul 2019

New study reveals 'clutch' proteins responsible for putting T cell activation 'into gear'

In collaborative research, scientists from three continents were able to discover a crucial bit of information about how T cells move proteins inside them to drive the immune response. This could help evolve specific new treatments centered on T cell selectivity.

12 Jul 2019

Researchers explain how 'viral' agents of neurological diseases ended up in our DNA

What if the missing ‘environmental’ factor in some of our deadliest neurological diseases were really written in our genome?

11 Jul 2019

Study sheds light on complex caspase-1-induced cell death mechanisms

Most unnecessary or dangerous cells such as virus-infected cells commit suicide by activating an in-built suicide program.

5 Jul 2019

Copper compound with potential as therapy for ALS shows further promise

A compound with potential as a treatment for ALS has gained further promise in a new study that showed it improved the condition of mice whose motor neurons had been damaged by an environmental toxin known to cause features of ALS.

2 Jul 2019

Researchers determine atomic interactions that stabilize phase-changing proteins

Most of the well-studied proteins in our bodies are like metal; some can change shape easily, like aluminum foil, and others are rigid, like steel beams, but they typically have a solid, well-defined structure.

2 Jul 2019

Protein Clumps In ALS Neurons Provide Potential Target For New Therapies

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurological condition that affects motor neurons -- the nerve cells that control breathing and muscles.

2 Jul 2019

New strategies for preventing and coping with rising burden of brain diseases

New strategies for preventing and coping with the growing burden of brain diseases were outlined today at the 5th European Academy of Neurology Congress in Oslo, Norway.

1 Jul 2019

Scientists unravel how cells unfold proteins

A happy cell is a balanced cell, but for every stupendously twisted protein it creates, it must tear the old ones asunder. That means untangling a convoluted pretzel-like mass for recycling. Cdc48 plays a critical role in unraveling the spent proteins.

29 Jun 2019

Anti-aging protein hormone Klotho shown to be neuroprotective in ALS model

Increasing the levels of the anti-aging protein hormone Klotho improves the neurological deficits and prolongs life span in an experimental model with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

28 Jun 2019

Study finds link between high BMI and lower risk of ALS

People who have a high body mass index or who gain weight as they get older may have a lower risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a large study published in the June 26, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Jun 2019

ALS mobility and survival could be improved by increasing glucose

Researchers from University of Arizona have come up with a new study that shows that increasing the amount of glucose that could be transformed into energy could help persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by improving their mobility and increasing their survival rates.

26 Jun 2019

UTA professor awarded $2.88 million for novel research on Lou Gehrig's disease

There are 15 new cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, diagnosed in the U.S. each day. The disease causes patients to slowly lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe, and comes with an average life expectancy of two to five years after diagnosis.

21 Jun 2019

New case study about cannabis hyperemesis syndrome in palliative care

The medical use of cannabis is growing. Medical marijuana may improve symptoms including pain and anorexia. While it may improve nausea and vomiting, it can rarely cause a hyperemesis syndrome with chronic use.

11 Jun 2019

Researchers develop stem cell-based model to study neuron resilience and vulnerability in ALS

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a stem cell-based model in order to study the resilience and vulnerability of neurons in the neurodegenerative disease ALS.

9 May 2019

Scientists describe how cells 'decide' between pluripotency and differentiation

Induced pluripotent stem cells can turn into any type of cell in the body or remain in their original form. In the current edition of Molecular Cell, scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München describe how cells “decide” which of these two directions to take.

3 May 2019