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A drug already used to treat symptoms of epilepsy has potential to slow the muscle weakening that comes with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), scientists report after completing a Phase II clinical trial-an early, small-scale test to show if the drug works and continues to be safe.
full story at http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/625744824.html
by Bob Overberg on Wed, Jan 06, 2010 @ 11:34 AM
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May the new year bring you much joy and love and may you be blessed with good health.
by Bob Overberg on Fri, Jan 01, 2010 @ 11:17 AM
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article in ScienceDaily
excerpts:
A chemical cousin of a drug currently used to treat sepsis dramatically slows the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, in mice. The results offer a bit of good news in efforts to develop a therapy to stop or slow the progression of a disease that generally kills its victims within just a few years.
and
The team hopes to test a treatment in patients within five years.
full text is at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019172111.htm
by Bob Overberg on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 @ 2:13 PM
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We were awarded the coveted golden shoe award for being top team in Baltimore.
Pictures on Facebook, publicly available at this URL:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40489&id=1279929242&l=1abb9efcb1
Thanks to all who walked for joining us on this soggy day of celebration.
by Bob Overberg on Sat, Oct 17, 2009 @ 7:01 PM
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We are down to the final few hours before the Baltimore walk. No amount of money can buy us good weather at this point. We just have to hope for a break in the showers in the morning.
I have surpassed my personal goal of $25,000 by nearly $10,000.
The team has passed the team goal by more than $12,000.
And Baltimore has moved past the 100% mark and is now at $154,000.
All of those are truly amazing accomplishments for which I thank you for your part in making it possible.
by Bob Overberg on Fri, Oct 16, 2009 @ 5:29 PM
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ALS is a very difficult disease to crack open. Up until now, we relied on a mouse with the SOD1 gene mutation for experimentation. The problem with this is that SOD1 is one gene known to be responsible for familial ALS which accounts for only 10% of all ALS cases. So the best tool we had only represented a tiny portion of the ALS community. Furthermore, the SOD1 mouse was not reliable. Drugs that worked great to slow or stop progression of ALS in the SOD1 mouse provided no benefit in humans. It was one tool, but not the right one.
Experimenting with mice is much faster and cheaper than doing human drug trials. But if it isn't representative, it only marginally helps because every likely drug needs to be confirmed in a slow, expensive human drug trial.
So we are very excited that a new mouse model has been developed that more closely mimics humans. It is based on the TDP43 gene discovered in 2006. It can be used in drug development together with the existing mouse model to better screen which drug trials should be pursued in humans. That saves a lot of time and money. And hopefully it speeds up the process of finding a cure for ALS
The article is
Scientists encouraged by new mouse model's similarities to human ALS
at
http://www.physorg.com/news174582327.html
by Bob Overberg on Tue, Oct 13, 2009 @ 6:51 AM
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The Baltimore walk passed $100,000 and 67% of goal today. Pride of the O's team is at 88% of goal with about $5000 to go. Thank you to all the donors for each and every donation from the small to the tall. Every dollar helped us to get us this close to our goal.
by Bob Overberg on Sat, Oct 10, 2009 @ 1:33 PM
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Here's something that has been in the works for a while-- a tool for ALS researchers to help crack open the secrets of the disease.
The federal government has released preliminary details about the new National ALS Registry, which will be launched in late 2010. The National ALS Registry was funded by the federal government in 2008, following passage of the ALS Registry Act. It will scientifically collect, manage and analyze information about people with ALS to help researchers better understand the disease.
Registry data will be used to estimate the incidence and prevalence of ALS, promote a better understanding of how the disease develops and provide data to researchers about improving disease management and developing better standards of care.
by Bob Overberg on Fri, Oct 09, 2009 @ 8:14 PM
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More research results indicate that Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis May Involve A Form Of Sudden, Rapid Aging Of The Immune System. Full article in Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008192737.htm
--bob
by Bob Overberg on Fri, Oct 09, 2009 @ 6:50 AM
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The Baltimore walk passed 50% of goal today. Another 75k to go!
The Pride of the O's moved up to 72% of goal today. Another 12k to go and maybe more.
16 days left. Time to get off the sidelines.
Did you see my team member "Red Stapler"? Check out his page. Even office equipment can make a difference!
by Bob Overberg on Wed, Sep 30, 2009 @ 10:46 PM
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the first clinical trial to test a new stem cell treatment for the fatal neurodegenerative disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) this month (ALS) can go ahead.
This is a small (12 patients) phase 1 trial which only examines safety and efficacy of the drug. If results are good at the end of the two year trial, a larger phase 2 trial will proceed as will a phase 3 trial.
Full article iin Medical News Today at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165528.php
by Bob Overberg on Wed, Sep 30, 2009 @ 7:14 AM
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"The former football star was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2007, Brigance founded the Brigance Brigade, to raise awareness towards finding a cure against this debilitating illness better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. " -- ABC2News
full story with 8 minutes of video at http://www.abc2news.com/content/gmm/story/Two-Rings-for-O-J/bdHk6iUZ10CjcsNzDGkm4w.cspx
Event details are at http://www.bcf.org/content/files/customcart/2rings.aspx
by Bob Overberg on Sat, Sep 26, 2009 @ 11:01 AM
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Some studies go up in smoke. Last year, there was great hope and simultaneous suspicion of an Italian study showing Lithium Carbonate slowed the progression of ALS. The study was of a very small, possibly hand-selected group of patients-- not a true scientific double-blind, random, placebo study which is the gold standard of research efforts. Here is the news clipping from yesterday with the results of the US study that tried to verify the Italian study.
http://www.alsa.org/news/article.cfm?id=1512
File this one in the "oh well, time to move on" category
by Bob Overberg on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 @ 12:45 AM
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How do you get stem cells into the body region where they need to be to effect the targeted system? With some systems, it is a matter of getting them into the blood and letting them be carried all over the body. Unfortunately, the brain is protected by a barrier called the "blood brain barrier" which keeps blood out of the brain. This is a protection mechanism for the brain. Only very small molecules are able to pass this barrier. The target of research is finding a way to get stem cells into the brain and spinal column where they can go to work on ALS.
Imagine having car engine problems and your solution is to go to the auto parts store, buy a bunch of parts, then open the hood of your car, throw them all in and slam the hood, expecting them to install themselves and fix the problem. That is where we are in the field today. Much research is needed to figure out how to target stem cells to a particular part of the nervous system. See this article for some information on other promising adult stem cell research. http://www.thesttammanynews.com/articles/2009/09/20/news/doc4ab53752f12d9232117694.txt
--bob
by Bob Overberg on Sun, Sep 20, 2009 @ 8:44 PM
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California Pizza Kitchen will donate 20% of your bill to the ALS Association if you
present this coupon http://home.comcast.net/~rwoverberg/cpk-als.pdf
at a CPK in Maryland, DC, or Virginia.
If you live near one of these locations, can you help spread them around through friends, school, soccer teams, work, etc?
DC and VA locations:
Connecticut Avenue
1260 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tysons Corner
7939 L. Tysons Corner Ctr
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 761-1473
Fairfax Corner
4200 Fairfax Corner West Avenue
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 222-8097
Pentagon Centre
1201 S. Hayes St., Suite F
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 412-4900
Short Pump Town Center
11800 W. Broad Street, #1104
Richmond, VA 23233
(804) 364-9047
The Town Center of Virginia Beach
200 Central Park Avenue
Virginia Beach, VA 23462 (757) 456-2630
MacArthur Center
300 Monticello Avenue, #149
Norfolk, VA 23510 757-622-7190
MD locations:
Hunt Valley Towne Centre
118 Shawan Road
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
(410) 785-3336
Washingtonian Center
136 Boardwalk Place
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 330-0681
Westfield Annapolis
1870 Annapolis Mall
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 573-2060
Westfield Montgomery
7101 Democracy Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20817
(301) 469-5090
visit http://www.cpk.com for menus
by Bob Overberg on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 @ 8:08 PM
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This clipping was in Science Daily two days ago. In this case, the researcher himself has ALS and is fighting for his life to find a way to break the puzzle.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909122110.htm
by Bob Overberg on Fri, Sep 11, 2009 @ 8:18 AM
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or a subtype of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
The annual US incidence rate is approximately 1 in 54,400.
If you like playing the lottery, think of it this way:
Odds of matching 4 out of 5 white balls and match the Powerball (Payout = $10,000) is one chance in 723,145
You are about 13 times more likely to contract ALS in a given year than you are to win the $10,000 payout from buying a Powerball lottery ticket.
Those are long odds for the lottery. At least you have the option of not buying the lottery ticket. With ALS, you can't hide-- we don't know what to do or not to do to avoid getting the disease.
--bob
by Bob Overberg on Tue, Sep 08, 2009 @ 10:31 PM
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ALS can start in your hands or feet (called limb-onset) or at the base of your brain (called bulbar-onset) or very rarely, in your diaphragm. I have bulbar-onset ALS. Some people with bulbar-onset ALS also experience emotional lability -- the inability to control emotional response. It can be manifested in uncontrollable crying or laughter. For me, it shows up as uncontrolled laughter at times. It really is a party inside while I'm struggling to breathe. My co-workers think it's funny to tell me something funny while I'm drinking. I have learned that I shouldn't be drinking anything while watching certain commedians on Comedy Central. :-)
--bob
by Bob Overberg on Mon, Sep 07, 2009 @ 4:21 PM
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I took three friends down to Orange, Virginia, this past weekend and went tandem skydiving. Watch my skydive video at http://www.youtube.com/v/1VVl9X32glY . [NOTE: youtube has muted the audio because it contains segments of copyrighted material] (Also available on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/?id=1279929242 )
It was terrifying and fun and a major adrenaline rush all rolled into one. It is good to know there's a sport out there where falling down is the whole idea. Heck, gravity tugs on me all the time and my muscles provide the support to match its pull so I stay up. The nerves that run from my brain to my leg to control those muscles are dying. I have fallen a few times this past year-- it is always over fast and hurts for a while. I just wish there was a parachute I could deploy as I fell down the stairs.
I don't have a parachute, but I do have support in the ALS Association who is there to help me along the way to continue living a full life-- doing things I love to do -- like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.
-- Bob
by Bob Overberg on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 @ 11:18 PM
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The walk is a little more than 2 months away. It's time to get moving on building the team and raising some money to fight ALS.
I didn't choose ALS... it chose me. It doesn't discriminate based on race, age, sex or location. It's truly an equal-opportunity disease. Help me fight it before it chooses someone else -- perhaps you or someone you know.
by Bob Overberg on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 2:53 PM
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Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries.
This crippling disease can strike anyone. Presently there is no known cause of the disease though support is bringing researchers closer to an answer. In the mean time it costs an average of $200,000 a year to provide the care ALS patients need. Help make a difference and donate or join a Walk today.
