New drug therapy could improve brain function and life expectancy of ALS patients
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a lethal, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the motor nerve cells in both the brain and the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration of motor neurons leads to atrophy, paralysis and eventually death due to failure of the respiratory muscles. Since the exact cause of ALS is unknown, current research has focused on extending the post-onset life expectancy, which is currently between two to five years for most patients. Part of the disease's progression is linked to increased activity of glial cells, a type of immune cell that damages and kills the body's motor neuron cells and decreases their ability to cleanse the CNS environment. Dr. Rachel Lichtenstein of the Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering at BGU has focused on reducing this negative immune response. "We found a way to thwart the glial cells from attacking and killing healthy brain cells," says Dr. Lic...