Scientists discover mechanism behind motor neurone disease

[Northerner]

Scientists say they have made a breakthrough in understanding the cause of both motor neurone disease and a rare form of dementia.

They have discovered what causes a protein called FUS to stay in a jelly-like state, killing off brain cells.

The researchers, from Cambridge and Toronto, said they were cautiously optimistic their findings could one day to lead to improved treatments.

The study is published in the journal Cell.

Motor neurone disease (MND), also known as ALS, is a progressive and terminal disease that damages the function of nerves and muscles, resulting in severe damage to the brain and spinal cord.

It affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43838545

 

[mikeyB]

Yes, I picked up on this story, mainly because my diagnosis is still not finalised. It was the last differential diagnosis the neurology professor offered last time I saw him. Distant possibility, mind🙂

I don’t think this discovery will lead to treatment any time soon, though.

 

[Northerner]

Yes, I picked up on this story, mainly because my diagnosis is still not finalised. It was the last differential diagnosis the neurology professor offered last time I saw him. Distant possibility, mind🙂

I don’t think this discovery will lead to treatment any time soon, though.

A few years back I applied to be Admin on the MNDA forum so I read up quite a bit about it. The thing that struck me most, that had never really occurred to me before, was how little research was actually being done to find causes and potential treatments, chiefly due to the fact that so few people, relatively speaking, were affected by it It put diabetes in perspective for me, where so many people are affected by it, across the world, that there is a huge amount of research into causes and treatments - even potential cures. So much research, in fact, that we often see what appears to be similar studies being applied numerous times, coming to the same conclusions and simply duplicating what most of us here could have just told them anyway 🙄

 

[mikeyB]

Yes, it’s very much a Cinderella condition. It’s not economical for a big Pharma to dedicate research into it, because very few people get it in the great scheme of things. It’s just tough titty if you do.

This contrasts rather neatly with CFS, or ME as it is known. That affects far more people than MND, so you would have expected far more research into a cause. It’s taken years for doctors to even admit it’s not a psychological problem, so it’s been tough titty for them too.

If you look for a cause, you’ll find one. But you won’t if you don’t even look.

 

[Vince_UK]

MND killed my Mother in 2000. Terrible, absolutely terrible condition for anyone.
Started as dementia and very rapidly MND developed.
I will never ever forget it.