Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) News and Research

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Intestinal microbes may affect course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have shown in mice that intestinal microbes, collectively termed the gut microbiome, may affect the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

22 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

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

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

New type of dementia is '100 times more common' than ALS

Physicians have defined a new form of dementia that may be more common than Alzheimer’s disease. The condition, named LATE, affects a different part of the brain.

1 May 2019

Researchers uncover potential clue to halt destruction of nerve cells in people with ALS

A special focus on rogue proteins may hold future promise in stopping the progression of nerve cell destruction in people who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or frontotemporal dementia.

24 Apr 2019

Scientists investigate processes that lead to neuronal death in ALS patients

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an incurable disease of the central nervous system. In most cases, ALS is fatal within a short period following diagnosis.

15 Apr 2019

Biochemical switches could be triggered to treat pathology of IBM, ALS and FTD

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have found that the enzymes ULK1 and ULK2 play a key role in breaking down cell structures called stress granules, whose persistence leads to toxic buildup of proteins that kill muscle and brain cells.

11 Apr 2019

Scientists solve mystery surrounding common genetic cause of ALS

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have cracked the mystery surrounding the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

11 Apr 2019

Study suggests novel therapeutic strategy for ALS

In a study published online in Brain on April 1, researchers from Dr. XU Jin's lab at the Institute of Neuroscience of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators revealed a new cellular mechanism for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, suggested a novel therapeutic strategy targeting the RNA degradation pathway, and identified an asthma drug as a potential medication for ALS.

9 Apr 2019

First-of-its-kind human trial of new brain reading device to help speech and movement

The Stentrode™ is a device that is placed inside a blood vessel of the brain located in an area that controls movement (motor cortex). It is the only investigational technology of its kind that does not require open brain surgery.

8 Apr 2019

Transplantation of bone marrow-derived EPCs slows ALS disease progression

Transplantation of human bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells into mice mimicking symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) helped mor, University of South Florida researchers report.

3 Apr 2019