Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis News and Research

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Tackling orphan diseases: an interview with Damian Marron, CEO, TxCell

The exact definition of orphan diseases varies depending on where you are in the world. In the EU it's defined as a prevalence of less than 1 in 2,000, which equates to about 250,000 patients across the EU.

4 Dec 2013

Principal investigators at Nationwide Children's Hospital elected as AAAS Fellows

Brian K. Kaspar, PhD, and Veronica J. Vieland, PhD, principal investigators in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

26 Nov 2013

Longer looks: Parents' crusade on rare diseases; fighting obesity; experts' view of alternative medicine

In the beginning, Chris Hempel noticed the clumsiness. Her girls tripped over toys on the floor. Their grandfather said he couldn't teach them to pedal their tricycles. … The Hempels learned of people who called themselves citizen-scientists. Many shared research papers and their day-to-day experience. Some talked of their willingness to try any promising drug. Others sought a role as equal partners with researchers. Scientists, while sympathetic, generally believe their work should be left to experts. Families are encouraged to raise money if they want to help, but the traditional view is that amateurs can't shape research or find cures. The Hempels found a maddening gap between the search for scientific knowledge and the search for treatments (Amy Docker Marcus, 11/2013).

22 Nov 2013

Rugby star partners with researchers to tackle motor neurone disease

A World Cup winning rugby star is joining forces with leading researchers in a new partnership to tackle motor neurone disease (MND).

15 Nov 2013

Complete Care program improves outcomes for Kaiser Permanente patients

Complete Care, a collaborative approach to meeting patient needs, is improving outcomes for Kaiser Permanente patients.

23 Oct 2013

Study reveals that glial cells are integral to brain function

New research by scientists at UC San Francisco shows that one of the brain's fundamental self-protection mechanisms depends on coordinated, finely calibrated teamwork among neurons and non-neural cells knows as glial cells, which until fairly recently were thought to be mere support cells for neurons.

23 Oct 2013

Diaphragm pacing systems improve quality of life for ALS patients

Respiratory failure is one of the major complications associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The quest for alternative approaches for treating respiratory failure has led to the study, and subsequent FDA approval, of diaphragm pacing for use in ALS patients. However, there are still important unanswered questions about its benefit and impact.

18 Oct 2013

NIH selects Salk scientist for EUREKA grant

The National Institutes of Health has selected Axel Nimmerjahn for a highly competitive EUREKA (Exceptional Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) grant. Dr. Nimmerjahn is an Assistant Professor in the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center and holds the Richard Allan Barry Developmental Chair.

13 Oct 2013

FDA approves Phase II trial to study effect of injected stem cells in ALS patients

Two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have received stem cell injections to their spinal cords at the University of Michigan Health System - the first two to receive the experimental injections in Michigan as part of a national clinical trial.

10 Oct 2013

Three Penn Medicine researchers awarded grants for neuromuscular disease research

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded research grants totaling over $1,000,000 to three Penn Medicine researchers: James Shorter, PhD, associate professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Hansell Stedman, MD, associate professor of Surgery; and Lee Sweeney, PhD, director of the Center for Orphan Disease Research and Therapy.

9 Oct 2013

Quintiles and MDA partner to develop U.S. Neuromuscular Disease Registry

Quintiles and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) today announced a new partnership to develop and implement the U.S. Neuromuscular Disease Registry, a patient registry that will play an important role in determining effective treatments for people with muscular dystrophy and related muscle diseases.

9 Oct 2013

Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Evotec Team Up To Take On ALS

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12 Sep 2013

One-time treatment slows onset and progression of ALS, study finds

Studies of a therapy designed to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis suggest that the treatment dramatically slows onset and progression of the deadly disease, one of the most common neuromuscular disorders in the world.

10 Sep 2013

Free reference and lifestyle tool now available for people affected by paralysis

For the first time, individuals living with paralysis and their caregivers can access the comprehensive Paralysis Resource Guide digitally on their smartphone, Nook, iPad or Kindle. The third edition of this vital resource, compiled and distributed by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center, is a free reference and lifestyle tool for people affected by paralysis.

4 Sep 2013

Scientists develop method to generate functioning brain cells that produce myelin

Stem cell technology has long offered the hope of regenerating tissue to repair broken or damaged neural tissue. Findings from a team of UC Davis investigators have brought this dream a step closer by developing a method to generate functioning brain cells that produce myelin - a fatty, insulating sheath essential to normal neural conduction.

29 Aug 2013

Researchers identify possible treatment strategy for ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders

Researchers have tied mutations in a gene that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders to the toxic buildup of certain proteins and related molecules in cells, including neurons. The research, published recently in the scientific journal Cell, offers a new approach for developing treatments against these devastating diseases.

29 Aug 2013

Statins: A class of cholesterol-lowering drugs may help treat Rett Syndrome

Statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs found in millions of medicine cabinets, may help treat Rett Syndrome, according to a study published today in Nature Genetics. The Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT) funded this work with generous support from the Rett Syndrome Research Trust UK and Rett Syndrome Research & Treatment Foundation.

30 Jul 2013

Researchers find how brain cells communicate with each other in different voice tones

Brain cells talk to each other in a variety of tones. Sometimes they speak loudly but other times struggle to be heard. For many years scientists have asked why and how brain cells change tones so frequently. Today National Institutes of Health researchers showed that brief bursts of chemical energy coming from rapidly moving power plants, called mitochondria, may tune brain cell communication.

26 Jul 2013

Discovery points to new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease

Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute have made a significant discovery that could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.

25 Jul 2013

Discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease

Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a significant discovery that could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.