eBook: ALS awareness month
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells, or motor neurons, in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a loss of muscle control over time. Often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famous baseball player who was diagnosed with it, ALS is the most common type of motor neuron disease. Symptoms often begin with muscle weakness in the arms or legs, gradually progressing to affect speech, swallowing and ultimately breathing.
Despite decades of research, ALS is a devastating diagnosis, with an average survival time of 3-5 years after symptom onset. However, the landscape of ALS research has transformed dramatically in recent years, driven by advances in bioanalytical technologies and our understanding of disease mechanisms. To mark ALS Awareness Month, we’ve compiled a collection of resources highlighting the role of bioanalysis in ALS research, including articles from Bioanalysis, Biomarkers in Medicine, and Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery.
CONTENTS INCLUDE:
- A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF ALS: The definition, symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- ALS TIMELINE: The key milestones in ALS research, from beginnings to present day.
- METHODOLOGY: Establishment of neurofilament light chain Simoa assay in cerebrospinal fluid and blood.
- SHORT COMMUNICATION: Identification of Apo B48 and other novel biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient fibroblasts.
- CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE: Why is it so difficult to discover drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? A protein intrinsic disorder perspective.
- METHODOLOGY: Determination of cisplatin and carboplatin anticancer drugs by non-suppressed ion chromatography with an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission detector.
