Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 "As the disease enters the symptomatic stage in mice, the buildup of protein is rapid and dramatic," David Borchelt, director of the SantaFe HealthCare Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the university's McKnight Brain Institute, where the studies took place, said in a university news release. "However, the formation of these aggregates is not the whole story. It is well-established that significant damage to the nervous system occurs well before the symptoms appear. The uncontrolled misfolding of SOD1 seems to be confined to the late stage of disease, which is when symptoms first appear, giving hope that treatments targeting this process could be beneficial."
The finding suggests that there may be significant time to treat ALS before the clumping and symptoms appear, signaling the quickening pace of progression. But this would require development of an accurate way to diagnose ALS before symptoms emerge.
"Blocking aggregation of these proteins could be a therapeutic target for individuals with this genetic mutation," Borchelt said. "Right now, there is little that can be done to help these patients."
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The ALS Association has more about ALS.
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-- Kevin McKeever
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