Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis News and Research

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Scientists develop new gene therapy that prevents axon destruction in mice

Nerve axons serve as the wiring of the nervous system, sending electrical signals that control movement and sense of touch.

18 Jan 2019

Study points to potential new biomarker and drug target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Research led by stem cell scientists at Harvard University points to a potential new biomarker and drug target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disease that is extremely difficult to diagnose and treat.

16 Jan 2019

New compound blocks genetic cause of familial ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Since the ice bucket challenge went viral in 2014, raising awareness and funding for ALS research, scientists have learned much about a disease that disconnects muscles from nerves, leading to muscle atrophy and eventual death. Their ultimate goal is to create medications capable of stopping ALS in its tracks.

18 Dec 2018

Study finds epigenetic differences in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia

A study using a PET scan tracer developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital has identified, for the first time, epigenetic differences between the brains of individuals with schizophrenia and those of unaffected study participants.

17 Dec 2018

Ezogabine treatment reduces motor neuron excitability in ALS patients, study shows

Brian Wainger, MD, PhD, of the Healey Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital presented initial, top-level results of a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial of ezogabine (also called retigabine) on December 9 at the Motor Neurone Disease Association annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

11 Dec 2018

Mount Sinai researcher awarded $2.5 million to advance understanding of neurodegenerative diseases

Ivan Marazzi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was awarded $2.5 million in funding by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to further the understanding of the underlying causes of neurodegenerative disorders such as Lou Gehrig's, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases. The

7 Dec 2018

Graphene may one day be used to test for ALS

The wonders of graphene are numerous -- it can enable flexible electronic components, enhance solar cell capacity, filter the finest subatomic particles and revolutionize batteries.

6 Dec 2018

Light-activated tools allow scientists to accurately probe intracellular phase separation

Creating new tools that harness light to probe the mysteries of cellular behavior, Princeton researchers have made discoveries about the formation of cellular components called membraneless organelles and the key role these organelles play in cells.

30 Nov 2018

Antibiotic could protect against age-related brain diseases

An antibiotic, minocycline, can increase the lifespan of roundworms by preventing the build-up of proteins during aging, a study in the open-access journal eLife reports.

28 Nov 2018

New breakthrough may speed up research and drug trials to tackle motor neurone disease

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have successfully created zebrafish that carry the complex genetic change known to cause the most common genetic form of motor neurone disease (MND).

27 Nov 2018

Studying sensory neurons could provide new insights to treat ALS

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists have shown that mutations in specific genes that destroy motor neurons and thereby cause the devastating effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-- also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease -- also attack sensory neurons.

9 Nov 2018

Genetic inhibition of SARM1 prevents axonal degeneration in nervous systems

Disarm Therapeutics, a biotechnology company creating a new class of disease-modifying therapeutics for patients with axonal degeneration, a central driver of neurological disease, today announced data demonstrating that genetic inhibition of SARM1 prevents axonal degeneration in the central, ocular and peripheral nervous systems.

5 Nov 2018

Repair defect in neurons hints at possible therapy for preventing ALS

Houston Methodist researchers have discovered a repair defect in nerve cells that send messages to the brain, opening the door to a possible therapy for preventing or slowing down ALS.

1 Nov 2018

Toxic protein assemblies found to play beneficial role in muscle generation

Toxic protein assemblies, or "amyloids," long considered to be key drivers in many neuromuscular diseases, also play a beneficial role in the development of healthy muscle tissue, University of Colorado Boulder researchers have found.

1 Nov 2018

Genetic defect linked to ALS causes sugar-starved cells to overproduce lipids

A genetic defect tied to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and mental illnesses changes how cells starved of sugar metabolize fatty compounds known as lipids, a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows.

31 Oct 2018

Scientists determine normal function of gene associated with ALS and FTD

The normal function of a gene associated with the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia has been determined for the first time by University of Bath scientists.

24 Oct 2018

Targeting immune checkpoints in microglia could reduce out-of-control neuroinflammation

A group of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators is proposing that targeting immune checkpoints - molecules that regulate the activity of the immune system - in immune cells called microglia could reduce the inflammatory aspects of important neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

17 Oct 2018

Brown researchers uncover new clues about ALS progression

Brown University researchers have uncovered new clues about the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a surprisingly common disease that causes the death of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles such as those involved in walking, talking, chewing or breathing.

10 Oct 2018

Researchers find ALS drug as potential treatment for prostate cancer

Researchers have discovered a new use for an old drug as a potential treatment for prostate cancer. The findings are published in the journal The Prostate.

3 Oct 2018

Researchers discover how nerve cells control movement

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered a new way in which nerve cells can control movement. In a study on zebrafish published in the journal PNAS they show that the contact between neurons and muscles is more dynamic than previously thought.

3 Oct 2018