New Therapy Stops ALS Progression

Credit: Oregon State University

• Researchers halt ALS for 2 years in mouse model type
• Copper-ATSM, (low in toxicity), used to deliver copper to damaged mitochondria and reaching spinal cord treating ALS 
  • Caution: Simple nutritional copper supplements, no ALS benefit
• Using this treatment, mice lasted max 500 days longer, but:
  • Stopping therapy, ALS symptoms re-arise, death in a few months 
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease
• Published in Neurobiology of Disease