ALS Research
The Emory ALS Center is actively engaged in research ranging from basic questions about the causes of ALS to clinical trials of new drugs in people with ALS. Please read below to learn more about our research program and projects. We need your help and participation in the fight against ALS.
In our laboratories:
Dr. Glass' laboratory in the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease is working on the basic mechanisms of motor neuron disease as well as potential new treatments for ALS.
Lindsey Fischer, a student in Dr. Glass' laboratory, has now graduated with both her M.D. and PhD degrees. She was one of nine MD/PhD Students graduating this year and was chosen by the faculty for the “Basic Science Award”, which is give to the graduating student with the most outstanding research achievements. She will be moving to Baltimore for training in Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. While working in Dr. Glass’ laboratory, Lindsey (now Dr. Fischer) showed that abnormal "oxidative stress" may underlie the disconnection between nerve fibers and muscle. Oxidative stress refers to the toxic effects that oxygen may have on cells during the process of cellular respiration (generating energy from oxygen). Her work was recently published in the scientific journal Brain (SOD1 targeted to the mitochondrial intermembrane space prevents motor neuropathy in the Sod1 knockout mouse. Brain;134:196-209).
Terrell Brotherton is a PhD student who is working on the role of mutant SOD1 proteins in the cause of ALS. She is asking why motor neurons, as opposed to other cells in the nervous system and elsewhere, are predisposed to damage by mutant SOD1 proteins. Terrell is developing new tools to identify neurons that are “under stress” during the course of ALS, and asking why these neurons are different from those who are resistant to the disease process. This work is highly relevant to people with ALS. As many of you know all too well, some muscles are affected more than others in this disease. Why are some susceptible and some resistant? We believe that the answer to this question may provide important clues for how ALS develops and progresses.
Dr. Glass continues his work on discovering “biomarkers” of ALS. Biomarkers can be defined as characteristics in patients that either separate them from patients with other diseases (termed “Diagnostic Biomarkers), or can be markers of disease progression than serve as quantitative measures of how rapidly the disease is progressing (“Disease activity biomarkers”). Working first in the ALS mouse we used "proteomics" to identify proteins in tissues that are specific for ALS mice. From there we tested whether these protein changes can also be seen in people with ALS. We have identified several proteins that we believe are candidates for biomarkers and we will soon be asking for volunteers to provide blood and spinal fluid samples to test whether any of these proteins changes with progression of disease. This work was recently published in the scientific Journal of Proteomic Research (Galectin-3 is a candidate biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: discovery by a proteomics approach. J Proteome Res;9:5133-5141)
Our robotic studies with Dr. Charles Kemp at the Health Systems Institute at Georgia Tech continue. We are developing interactive robots that will serve as personal assistants for patients with ALS. This work is being funded by a grant from the Coulter Foundation, which focuses on translational research in medical engineering.
UPDATE ON STEM CELLS:
Our stem cell trial has now reached a milestone. We have completed surgical transplantation in our first 12 patients, and we are currently submitting information to the FDA to continue with the next group of patients. This is a trial of SAFETY only, and we are not expecting our patients to improve. The trial is sponsored by NeuralStem (www.neuralstem.com), and Dr. Nick Boulis in Neurosurgery is the surgeon performing the surgery and injections. We will post updates on this website.
In the Clinic:
We have several ongoing trials of medications that my slow the course of disease. These trials are listed in the table below. Also, we have other clinical research opportunities that we hope will help us better understand the causes of ALS, and the factors that may be important in providing the best care possible. We encourage you to participate in any trials that you may be eligible for. WE NEED YOUR HELP to better understand this disease and to find new treatments that will slow or (better yet) stop this disease!!
