Motor Neurons News and Research

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Compound PF-04457845 slows motor decline in ALS mouse models

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurological disease that destroys nerve cells responsible for muscle movement.

28 Aug 2026

Shared protein pathology redefines treatment for multiple neurodegenerative diseases

On the surface, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) might seem like unrelated diseases.

24 Aug 2026

Scientists create single-cell atlas of spinal neurons involved in motor coordination

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital created a single-cell atlas of a key class of spinal neurons involved in motor coordination. From that resource, they identified a small subgroup of interneurons associated with the speed of rhythmic movements such as walking.

10 Aug 2026

Two heart nerve cell types sustain cardiac stability in mice

Researchers identified two major intrinsic cardiac neuron populations in mice: Npy-positive neurons regulate parasympathetic heart rate control and support coronary perfusion, while Ddah1-positive neurons help maintain electrical stability during extreme stress. Removing Npy-positive neurons caused fatal cardiac failure, whereas loss of Ddah1-positive neurons increased susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest under stress.

23 Jul 2026

Experimental drug shields nerve cells from damage caused by ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, received widespread awareness in the summer of 2014 thanks to an Ice Bucket Challenge. Millions of people participated in the challenge, drenching themselves in ice cold water to bring visibility to this devastating neurodegenerative disease and generate charitable donations for research.

3 Jul 2026

U-M Health neurosurgeons complete first human implant of wireless brain computer interface

Neurosurgeons at University of Michigan Health completed the first-in-human implant of a Paradromics Inc., wireless brain-computer interface, or BCI, as part of a national clinical trial for patients with difficulty speaking.

17 Jun 2026

Solving the mystery of ALS survival differences with new biological insights

Patients with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, live an average of only three years after symptoms begin, though some can survive closer to 10 years. What drives these differences in survival has remained a mystery.

14 May 2026

New insights into ALS progression through glial cell behavior

All the core facilities of the Cibio Department of the University of Trento are involved in a study on ALS, co-funded by Fondazione AriSla, national organizations and various donors, to better understand the molecular mechanisms of slow-progressing cases.

5 May 2026

Scientists discover a potential new way to slow ALS disease progression

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the progressive loss of motor neurons, which in most cases leads to respiratory failure within three to five years after diagnosis.

30 Apr 2026

Superficial skin exposures pose a higher rabies risk than previously thought

While it was previously thought that keratinocytes (skin cells) were only passive conductors that allow the rabies virus to pass through, novel research reveals that these cells play a much more active role. The findings of a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID), published by Elsevier, provide direct evidence that keratinocytes can support viral replication and transmit the rabies virus to neurons. The investigators offer a mechanistic explanation for how superficial skin exposures from scratches or minor bites by dogs and bats can lead to neuroinvasion, contributing to the risk of infection.

16 Apr 2026

PRISM ALS: A new global collaboration to expand patient-derived stem cell models and accelerate treatments

A new global initiative launched today aims to close a critical gap in ALS/MND drug discovery - current cell models used for testing treatments do not currently reflect the diverse nature of the disease - that affects both researchers developing therapies and the people urgently waiting for them.

From ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) 1 Apr 2026

Scientists use living muscle to reanimate paralyzed organs

What if a technology could reanimate parts of the body that have lost their connection to the brain - like a bladder that can no longer empty due to a spinal cord injury, or intestines that can't push food forward due to Crohn's disease? What if this technology could also send sensations such as hunger or touch back to the brain?

31 Mar 2026

Early testosterone surge triggers rare muscle disease

Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA) is a rare inherited disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting in men.

27 Mar 2026

Investigational oral therapy shows safety and potential benefits in ALS trial

In a phase 2b clinical trial, an investigational oral therapy called PrimeC was found to be safe and well tolerated in people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with exploratory findings suggesting target engagement and potential clinical benefits.

16 Mar 2026

Novel lipid bubble delivery shows promise for ALS treatment

A researcher at the University of Missouri has made a promising breakthrough in the quest to help people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurodegenerative disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

26 Feb 2026

Study identifies link between gut bacteria and deterioration of the brain in ALS, dementia

A significant discovery by Case Western Reserve University researchers could change how doctors treat two of the most devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

9 Feb 2026

Lab-grown corticospinal neurons offer new models for ALS and spinal injuries

Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries.

29 Jan 2026

Zebrafish can play a decisive role in clinical interpretation of spinal muscular atrophy

The tiny zebrafish is helping researchers rapidly determine whether a newborn's genetic mutation is likely to cause spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), one of the leading causes of infant mortality worldwide.

28 Jan 2026

Long-term air pollution exposure raises motor neuron disease risk

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing motor neuron disease and poorer prognosis after diagnosis in a large nationwide Swedish study. Higher particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure were also linked to faster functional decline and increased likelihood of invasive ventilation.

21 Jan 2026

ALS breakthrough: Restoring protein production in motor neuron axons

Researchers at VIB and KU Leuven have identified a molecular process that allows motor neurons to maintain protein production, a process that fails in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

12 Jan 2026