Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) News and Research

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Research suggests new approach to therapeutic intervention for ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases. Patients, including the late actor/playwright Sam Shepard, become progressively weaker and eventually paralyzed as their motor neurons degenerate and die.

1 Jun 2020

High-throughput analysis of blood plasma could help identify biomarkers for ALS

High-throughput analysis of blood plasma could aid in identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to research from North Carolina State University.

29 May 2020

Study provides groundwork for restoring nerve-muscle connection in ALS

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, lose muscle control as nerve cells or neurons in the brain and spinal cord degenerate and can no longer send signals to muscles.

28 May 2020

Study pinpoints electrophysiological mechanism behind upper motor neuron disease

Scientists from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Belgrade have pinpointed the electrophysiological mechanism behind upper motor neuron disease, unlocking the door to potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia and Primary Lateral Sclerosis.

21 May 2020

Researchers test existing anti-inflammatory drug in COVID-19 patients

An anti-inflammatory drug developed at Scripps Research 25 years ago is now being tested as a way to prevent acute respiratory distress in patients with COVID-19, the pandemic disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

29 Apr 2020

Researchers identify a new risk factor for multiple neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), have identified a new risk factor for multiple neurodegenerative diseases.

28 Apr 2020

Scientists delay onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice

A team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Toronto has delayed the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice.

20 Apr 2020

Inhibition of sphingolipid metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases

Disrupting production of sphingolipids in neurons improved neurodegeneration symptoms and increased survival in a mouse model.

13 Apr 2020

Protective brain-cell housekeeping mechanism may also be involved in regulating sleep

An important biological mechanism that is thought to protect brain cells from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's may also be involved in regulating sleep, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

12 Mar 2020

Stress-linked disorders increase the risk of later brain degeneration

A new study published in the journal JAMA Neurology in March 2020 suggests that stress-related disorders increase the risk of later development of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders.

9 Mar 2020

Scientists create new tool to study the genetic underpinnings of brain disorders

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and colleagues created a new computational tool called H-MAGMA to study the genetic underpinnings of nine brain disorders, including the identification of new genes associated with each disorder.

9 Mar 2020

Blue light illuminates key ALS pathologies in zebrafish

A joint research group in Japan has succeeded in reproducing key ALS symptoms in a small tropical fish by remote controlling a disease-associated protein molecule using light illumination.

26 Feb 2020

Supplementing diet with amino acid delays signs of ALS in animal study

The addition of dietary L-serine, a naturally occurring amino acid necessary for formation of proteins and nerve cells, delayed signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in an animal study.

24 Feb 2020

Inflammation detected in the brains of veterans with Gulf War Illness

In a new discovery, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have detected widespread inflammation in the brains of veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Illness.

13 Feb 2020

Research uncovers protective role of astrocytes in sporadic motor neuron disease

Support cells in the nervous system help protect motor neurons in the early-stages of sporadic motor neuron disease, according to new research from the Crick and UCL.

10 Feb 2020

Collaborative research uncovers underlying rules that, when broken, contribute to ALS

Clumps of proteins inside cells are a common thread in many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

7 Feb 2020

New noninvasive way to monitor the health of brain cells using an infrared laser

With no way to reliably tell whether an athlete has a concussion, many may be playing with an undiagnosed injury. Likewise, 2 million people die every year because we don't have an early warning when brain cells are dying--and another 4 million experience cognitive disabilities.

3 Feb 2020

Researchers uncover locomotor engine in the spinal cord

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have revealed a new principle of organisation which explains how locomotion is coordinated in vertebrates akin to an engine with three gears. The results are published in the scientific journal Neuron.

22 Jan 2020

Study identifies molecular 'bridge' between ALS-causing genes

The enzyme Gemin3 was identified as the molecular 'bridge' between genes whose mutation or disruption causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new study in Nature's Scientific Reports from scientists at the University of Malta.

16 Jan 2020

Research findings may one day help keep ALS at bay

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine on December 23, 2019, shows how to silence a defective gene responsible for the degeneration of the motor neurons in Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in adult mice. This could help prevent disease progression if the condition is already symptomatic, and even suppress the illness if it has not yet started.

23 Dec 2019