One distinct hallmark of ALS is the dysfunction of a tiny protein called TDP-43. This protein normally lives within a cell’s nucleus, but in the case of ALS, it becomes dysfunctional, migrates out, and aggregates into the cell’s cytoplasm. The …
2025 Impact Report
Every moment is an opportunity. It’s estimated that every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS. But how many more minutes will pass before that person has the chance to receive care at a multidisciplinary ALS clinic that can extend …
Discovering how motor neurons break down in ALS
In the search for the underlying mechanisms of ALS, researchers are examining the role of even the tiniest parts of neuron cells. In fact, studies have shown that in ALS patients, microtubules—which are the major component of the cell cytoskeleton …
Targeting Key Proteins in the Fight Against ALS
Scientists at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine have zeroed in on a cellular gatekeeper that may hold promise for treating abnormal protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study published in Nature Communications. “In all neurodegenerative …
RNA ‘Quality Control’ System Breaks Down in ALS
A study from the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine has shed light on a critical molecular mechanism underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to findings published in the journal Neuron. The research points to a failure in the …
A new clue to ALS and FTD: Faulty protein disrupts brain’s ‘brake’ system
Findings point to promising drug that restores neuron balance and may slow disease progression A new Northwestern University study using patient nervous tissue and lab-grown human neurons has uncovered how a key disease protein, TDP-43, drives overactive nerve cells in …
Les Turner ALS Foundation to Make $500,000 Gift to Northwestern Research
Funding ensures promising new ALS therapies and vital research can continue In response to the current federal funding crisis, the Les Turner ALS Foundation is announcing that it will make a $500,000 gift to support ALS research at Northwestern University …
ALS drug effectively treats Alzheimer’s disease in new animal study
Experimental drug NU-9 — a small molecule compound approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — improves neuron health in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, according to …
UPDATED: Statement on Proposed Cut to Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for FY2025
Updated: On March 14, 2025, the Senate passed a bill that will fund the government through Sept. 30, 2025. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more about how these budget cuts will affect ALS research. This is …
LETTER: Neuromuscular Advocacy Groups Oppose NIH Indirect Cost Cap of 15%
On behalf of the approximately 300,000 Americans living with a neuromuscular disease (NMD), the undersigned 40 patient advocacy organizations strongly urge the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to immediately reverse and retract “Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy …
