MIT engineers turn skin cells directly into neurons for cell therapy
A new, highly efficient process for performing this conversion could make it easier to develop therapies for spinal cord injuries or diseases like ALS.
Epigenomic analysis sheds light on risk factors for ALS
In a study of cells from nearly 400 ALS patients, researchers identified genomic regions with chemical modifications linked to disease progression.
Study: Movement disorder ALS and cognitive disorder FTLD show strong molecular overlaps
Single-cell gene expression patterns in the brain, and evidence from follow-up experiments, reveal many shared cellular and molecular similarities that could be targeted for potential treatment.
Deciphering the cellular mechanisms behind ALS
Professor Ernest Fraenkel has decoded fundamental aspects of Huntington’s disease and glioblastoma, and is now using computation to better understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases “cutting-edge” research across MIT
Seed projects, posters represent a wide range of labs working on technologies, therapeutic strategies, and fundamental research to advance understanding of age-related neurodegenerative disease.
Neurodegenerative disease can progress in newly identified patterns
A machine-learning method finds patterns of health decline in ALS, informing future clinical trial designs and mechanism discovery. The technique also extends to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Aging Brain Initiative awards fund five new ideas to study, fight neurodegeneration
Competitive seed grants launch yearlong investigations of novel hypotheses about potential causes, biomarkers, treatments of Alzheimer’s and ALS.
3 Questions: Anna Jagielska on printing artificial axons
How 3D-printed models of neuronal axons could accelerate development of new therapies to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
Unleashing the potential of the mind
Pison, founded by Dexter Ang ’05, enables people to control digital interfaces, such as their phones, through brain signals.
A wearable sensor to help ALS patients communicate
Researchers have designed a skin-like device that can measure small facial movements in patients who have lost the ability to speak.
Testing new drugs with “ALS-on-a-chip”
3-D tissue model replicates the motor neuron connections affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Ankur Jain joins Whitehead Institute and the Department of Biology
Biophysicist will investigate the biology of RNA aggregation.
Biologists discover function of gene linked to familial ALS
Study in worms reveals gene loss can lead to accumulation of waste products in cells.
Replicating the connection between muscles and nerves
New chip could help test drugs for ALS, other neuromuscular disorders.
Fighting ALS with mind, hand, and heart
With support from the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program, an MIT spinoff is creating assistive technology for people with ALS.