Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Muscle cell activity helps to promote motor nerve cell repair after injury, scientists found in using a device to model motor neuron and muscle cell interaction. They believe this finding could be relevant to diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that imperil motor neuron survival. The device was described…

Skin cells from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have altered metabolisms and increased levels of a type of cellular stress called oxidative stress, a new study shows. This may indicate new treatment targets for ALS. The study, “ALS skin fibroblasts reveal oxidative stress and ERK1/2-mediated…

There are differences in the way the fluid around the brain and spinal cord moves in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and understanding these could have implications for the development of future therapies, a study suggests. The study, “Non-invasive MRI quantification of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics…

A gene editing technology based on CRISPR was able to slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a mouse model, a new study showed, demonstrating the approach’s potential for gene therapy in people with ALS. The study, “Treatment of a Mouse Model of ALS by…

A zebrafish model that reproduces key amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) symptoms and characteristics, including protein clumping, when exposed to blue light could aid in understanding disease mechanisms and in developing new treatments. The model was described in the study, “Optogenetic modulation of TDP-43 oligomerization accelerates ALS-related…

Astrocytes — cells of the nervous system cell that provide support to neurons — were seen to help protect motor neurons from damage caused by toxic protein clumps in a cell model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study reporting this finding, “Distinct responses of neurons…

A neurotoxic amino acid called β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) fed to vervet monkeys caused damage to the spinal cord similar to what is seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), potentially making them a much-needed new animal model for research, a study reported. Adding L-serine, a non-toxic amino acid, to their diet…

Mutations in the C9ORF72 gene, the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), lead to changes in how cells process ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein, a new study shows, shedding light on the mechanisms through which such mutations…

The protein synaptotagmin 13 (SYT13) protected motor neurons from degeneration in cell and animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a study reports, suggesting a gene therapy based on this protein’s related gene, SYT13, would treat these and other diseases of motor nerve cells.

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may benefit from at-home monitoring using an app, a study found. The study, “Telehealth as part of specialized ALS care: feasibility and user experiences with ‘ALS home-monitoring and coaching’,” was published in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. Providing…