Scientists identify possible target to treat Lou Gehrig's disease
American healthcare consumers worried about their finances can ease some of their burdens by shopping at an online Canadian pharmacy, many of which sell the same drugs available in the U.S., but at significant discounts.
American healthcare consumers worried about their finances can ease some of their burdens by shopping at an online Canadian pharmacy, many of which sell the same drugs available in the U.S., but at significant discounts. Scientific research continues to add to the growing list of medical treatments available. A new study from Laval University in Quebec may have identified a potential drug target to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
ALS is an illness that leads to degeneration of the motor neurons. Patients become increasingly paralyzed, losing control of their muscles, which begin to weaken and atrophy. If the disease affects the nerves that regulate the diaphragm and breathing, death from respiratory failure may occur, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
About 90 percent of cases of ALS are the result of an unknown cause, according to the researchers from Quebec. However, a new study reveals that compared to healthy individuals, patients with ALS produce higher amounts of two proteins in their spinal cord: TDP-43 and p65. When TDP-43 binds to p65, a chain reaction that causes inflammation can kill off local nerve cells. This mechanism does not occur in healthy individuals.
In a laboratory experiment conducted in mice bred to have ALS, blocking p65 to prevent binding of TDP-43 reduced symptoms, as published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggesting that p65 is a potential drug target.
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