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ALS Disease Information

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the motor neurons in the muscles to die. It causes severe muscular degeneration and eventual immobility and death. The disease is also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease since he was the first person to bring attention to it with his abrupt retirement from baseball in 1939.

  1. Cause

    • The disease is caused by a mutated gene named SOD1. The mutation creates a toxin that eventually kills neurons in the muscles.

    Genetics

    • For some patients, the gene mutation is given to offspring. The disease may not show symptoms when patients are younger, but begins to develop later in life.

    Average Age

    • The average age for the development of ALS is between 40 to 60. However, the disease can form at anytime in life.

    Treatment

    • Currently, there is only one drug on the market for the treatment of ALS. The drug name is riluzole.

    Research

    • The most promising research for treatment and correction of ALS is stem cell therapy. Researchers grow neurons in rats, which shows promise for corrective muscle neuron creation for people with ALS.

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