Scientists in Quebec City are seeking to better understand the early signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and are considering ways to treat it.
New research from Laval University suggests that blocking inflammation may reduce symptoms in people with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
But the research team says there is still a long way to go to fully understand the disease and its best treatments.
“We know from this disease what happens in the final stages of the disease,” Chantel Sefton, an associate professor at Laval University, said in an interview. “What we want to understand is what’s happening before that.”
ALS is caused by the gradual breakdown and loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to a loss of motor ability because the brain can no longer communicate with the body’s muscles.
Sefton and her team worked to see if they could use genetically engineered mouse models to reduce inflammation and halt or reverse some of the changes in motor neurons to re-establish connections.
Get the latest Health IQ news. Sent to your email every week.
“When we treated the mice for eight weeks, we started to see improved motor performance and improved cognitive abilities,” Sefton said. “What we’ve learned from this study is that just by reducing the inflammation, you can allow the neurons to recover to some extent and re-form these (synaptic) connections, which is really amazing.”
For Sefton, this latest research is just one piece of the puzzle in finding new treatments.
“What our research shows is that reducing inflammation may be an important way to alleviate and slow disease progression, but we’re not stopping there.” Sefton he said. “We definitely need to continue to understand how to target other issues that are going on with this disease.”
Sefton and her team used a semi-synthetic drug based on withaferin A, an extract of the ashwagandha plant.
A similar drug is in clinical trials at Sunnybrook Hospital in Ontario, but so far none have been approved for use.
“While inflammation is a well-studied problem in ALS, it is complex and there is still much work to be done to understand it,” said David Taylor, vice president of research at ALS Canada.
“I think what Dr. Sefton has done definitely moves us a step forward in terms of understanding that and ultimately moving us closer to a cure.”
There are only three drugs approved to treat ALS in Canada, and some patients may not be eligible for some of them.
Most ALS patients die within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis.
“Every new drug being studied brings hope,” said soccer coach Phil Lalonde, who was diagnosed with ALS more than two years ago.
Lalonde wants to help researchers discover “miracle drugs,” so he participates in clinical trials himself.
Speaking from her home in Beaconsfield, Lalonde said she was managing her symptoms with a combination of physical therapy and two approved medications.
“All of these drugs that I’m taking basically extend my life by about six months,” Lalonde explained. “It may not sound like a big deal, but it is. It’s an extra year. It’s an extra year for him to watch his grandson grow.”
Lalonde said he remains hopeful that one day more effective treatments will become available.
He holds an annual soccer tournament in Pointe-Clair to raise money for ALS research to bring scientists closer to the discovery.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
