Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) News and Research

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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

Scientists shed light on key mechanism linked to development of healthy cells

Scientists have shed light on how healthy cells develop by identifying the role of key molecules involved.

8 Mar 2019

Pesticides, other environmental pollutants advance progression of ALS

While exact causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain unknown, new research shows pesticides and other environmental pollutants advance the progression of the neurodegenerative disease.

28 Feb 2019

BGU develops new AI platform for monitoring and predicting ALS progression

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform for monitoring and predicting progression of neurodegenerative diseases to help identify markers for personalized patient care and improve drug development.

20 Feb 2019

Cholesterol-lowering drugs could help prevent onset of motor neurone disease

High cholesterol has been found to be a possible risk factor for the development of motor neurone disease, according to a large study of genetic data led in the UK by Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health in the USA.

14 Feb 2019

Researchers show efficacy of new therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice

A team from Université Laval and the CERVO Brain Research Centre has demonstrated the efficacy in mice of a new therapy that addresses the main manifestation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

7 Feb 2019

Research could potentially lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have identified new messenger molecules shuttled between cells which could help to protect the survival of neurones - potentially leading to new treatments for MND .

1 Feb 2019

Columbia neuroengineers create new system to translate thoughts into speech

In a scientific first, Columbia neuroengineers have created a system that translates thought into intelligible, recognizable speech. By monitoring someone's brain activity, the technology can reconstruct the words a person hears with unprecedented clarity.

29 Jan 2019

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

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

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

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

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