home
RSS
New ALS gene mutation discovered
September 21st, 2011
12:01 PM ET

New ALS gene mutation discovered

Researchers have identified a genetic abnormality which they believe to be the most common cause of  two devastating neurological diseases and could provide future clues to treatment.  Two new studies, published online in the journal Neuron, found that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease and frontotemporal dementia or FTD that run in families are caused in many cases by a mutation on a single gene on chromosome number 9.  This mutation causes a short DNA sequence to repeat over and over, much more frequently than in healthy people.  The ALS Association, which funded both studies, calls the identification of this genetic mutation "a major milestone in ALS research."

According to the data, in healthy individuals the DNA sequence repeats 2 to 23 times. In 23% of familial ALS patients and 12% of familial FTD patients the sequence repeated 700-1,600 times.

ALS and FTD are both fatal neurological diseases of the brain. In ALS, nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord begin to degenerate and patients lose the ability to move their bodies and breathe. Almost 6,000 American are diagnosed with the crippling disease each year.  FTD causes the degeneration of parts of the brain that control language, emotion, behavioral control and the ability to make decisions (the temporal and frontal lobes).  About 20-40% of people with FTD have a family history of the disease.

One study looked at patients in Finland which has a high population of ALS patients, according to lead study author Dr. Bryan Traynor from the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

"With this finding we've gone from understanding a quarter of familial ALS to two-thirds of familial ALS," Traynor said. "In terms of thinking of the future, what this provides us with is a target to go after. What this allows us to do is to design cell models and animal models of disease we can use to start to screen drugs, and therapeutic agents to see if they are effective in turning off this particular genetic mutation."

Traynor says there are 4 genes known to account for 25% of all familial ALS cases. The chromosome 9 gene accounts for an additional 40%.

In the second study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida also found the same repeat DNA sequence. "This finding has the potential to lead to significant insights into how both of these neurodegenerative diseases develop," Senior Investigator Dr. Rosa Rademakers, neuroscientist at the Mayo Clinic said. "And may give us much needed leads into new ways to treat our patients."

The ALS Association's Chief Scientist Lucie Bruijn calls the new data tremendously exciting. "These findings will significantly impact the field as we begin to understand more about the consequences of these changes to the disease process, aid or understanding of FTD and ALS, potentially provide a diagnostic tool, and enable the development of new therapeutic approaches."

Still, Traynor says he wants to keep expectations within bounds and be careful not to raise false hopes. That's because typically it's 10 years from gene discovery to clinical trial. He says that's a long time when ALS patients usually live 2-3 years after the onset of symptoms.

"It's a step forward, Traynor said. "Now we know which room in which house on which street in which city and that knowledge facilitates ultimately working up a treatment that will slow down this fatal disease.".


soundoff (1,143 Responses)
  1. hydroxychloroquine chloroquine

    aralen for lupus https://chloroquineorigin.com/ choloquine

    May 7, 2021 at 10:48 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. bagels near me

    http://ec-conference.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.bikecraze.com

    May 7, 2021 at 14:56 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. rv upgrades

    Aw, this was a very good post. Taking the time and actual effort to create a really good article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and don't seem to get nearly anything done.

    https://secure.action.news/watch?v=0eb9oP6XDs0

    May 7, 2021 at 19:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. Video Marketing Near Me

    http://ukpropertylistings.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 7, 2021 at 23:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. Seo Marketing Company Near Me

    http://ramazanovi.ru/redirect?url=http://affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 02:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. Social Media Marketing Agencies Near Me

    That is a good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate info… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read article!

    http://www.diblasi.biz/Mappa.asp?Dmn=affordableranking.com&Lng=it

    May 8, 2021 at 02:37 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. Video Marketing Consultant

    http://pro-choiceamerica.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 03:23 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. Google Marketing Company

    Very good write-up. I certainly appreciate this site. Stick with it!

    http://singingstar.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 06:49 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. Video Marketing Experts

    I blog often and I truly thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest. I am going to book mark your blog and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your RSS feed too.

    http://optinomics.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 08:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. 먹튀

    Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful post. Thanks for providing this info.

    https://mintjasia.com/members/baccarat0cornetcause57/activity/104235/

    May 8, 2021 at 10:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. Vern Genualdo

    I need to appreciate this extremely good read!! I certainly loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the fresh stuff you post.

    http://elink.io/9a39612

    May 8, 2021 at 10:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. Social Media Marketing Company Cypress

    Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It's always helpful to read through articles from other authors and use something from other web sites.

    https://woolstoncp.co.uk/warrington/primary/woolston/CookiePolicy.action?backto=https://affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 11:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. Internet Marketing Review

    http://doubleclickcafe.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 13:15 | Report abuse | Reply
  14. box truck repair

    I blog frequently and I seriously appreciate your content. This article has really peaked my interest. I'm going to take a note of your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed as well.

    http://www.haohand.com/other/js/url.php?url=https://ocrvcenter.com

    May 8, 2021 at 14:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. Social Media Marketing Contractors

    Aw, this was an incredibly nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to create a very good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don't seem to get nearly anything done.

    https://www.hammerinternational.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.affordableranking.com

    May 8, 2021 at 14:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  16. RV Countertops Riverside

    http://clik.pw/Cn8bY

    May 9, 2021 at 00:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  17. Social Media Marketing Specialist

    http://www.trafficweather.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 02:03 | Report abuse | Reply
  18. Google Marketing Service

    http://schreiber-foods.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 02:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  19. Google Marketing Consultant

    http://columbusvacations.us/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 05:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  20. RV Shades California

    https://rebrand.ly/edyrj3w

    May 9, 2021 at 06:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  21. Seo Marketing Job

    https://bcs-urec.ru/bitrix/rk.php?goto=https://affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 07:41 | Report abuse | Reply
  22. 먹튀검증사이트

    Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It will always be helpful to read through content from other writers and use something from other websites.

    https://dokuwiki.stream/wiki/Authentic_Casino_Jobs

    May 9, 2021 at 09:27 | Report abuse | Reply
  23. Social Media Marketing Companies Cypress

    Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after going through some of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!

    https://www.avectraacrp.com/eweb/Logout.aspx?RedirectURL=https://affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 16:44 | Report abuse | Reply
  24. Video Marketing Business

    Howdy! This blog post could not be written much better! Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he'll have a very good read. Thanks for sharing!

    https://mail.crni.net/Redirect/affordableranking.com/nbc/

    May 9, 2021 at 17:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  25. Digital Marketing Job

    https://www.ithacaharbors.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 18:15 | Report abuse | Reply
  26. RV Furniture Riverside

    https://r2.kittys.co/?url=http://ocrvcenter.com

    May 9, 2021 at 18:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  27. 먹튀검증사이트

    Very good post. I certainly love this site. Continue the good work!

    https://classifiedcloud.site/user/profile/1374

    May 9, 2021 at 19:42 | Report abuse | Reply
  28. RV TV Near Me

    Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon every day. It will always be useful to read through content from other authors and use a little something from other websites.

    http://f4.motogon.ru/redirector/?url=http3A2F2Focrvcenter.com

    May 9, 2021 at 20:41 | Report abuse | Reply
  29. Internet Marketing Services

    http://www.voller-energy.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 9, 2021 at 22:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  30. Video Marketing Agencies

    http://www.americanfounders.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 10, 2021 at 14:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  31. Social Media Marketing Service

    http://pomsport.de/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 10, 2021 at 23:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  32. Internet Marketing Event

    Wonderful article! We are linking to this particularly great content on our site. Keep up the great writing.

    http://www.qfs.usahotelsguide.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 01:27 | Report abuse | Reply
  33. Internet Marketing Mentor

    I really like reading an article that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!

    http://wpsyndicator.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 02:47 | Report abuse | Reply
  34. Content Marketing Specialist

    An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast due to the fact that I discovered it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to discuss this matter here on your web site.

    https://aaacarinfo.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=affordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 05:50 | Report abuse | Reply
  35. Local Marketing California

    Very good article. I'm experiencing some of these issues as well..

    http://masonlight.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.affordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 06:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  36. Local Marketing Company

    Pretty! This has been a really wonderful article. Thank you for providing this info.

    http://www.sandiegocountyrecorder.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.affordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 08:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  37. Digital Marketing Videos

    http://www.webdir.sangeet-bhuvan.com/go_to_website.php?url=http://affordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 09:27 | Report abuse | Reply
  38. Social Media Marketing Reviews

    This is the right site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic. You know a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic that's been discussed for years. Great stuff, just excellent!

    https://work.dirx.ru/click.php?url=http3A2F2Faffordableranking.com

    May 11, 2021 at 12:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  39. 먹튀검증사이트

    Next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn't fail me just as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read through, however I genuinely believed you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you could fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.

    http://msichat.de/redir.php?url=https://casinogambling7tysonfrup498686.carrd.co/

    May 11, 2021 at 14:58 | Report abuse | Reply
  40. 먹튀검증

    I need to to thank you for this great read!! I certainly loved every little bit of it. I've got you bookmarked to check out new things you postÖ

    http://bazamayak.ru/user/lentilriver48/

    May 11, 2021 at 16:31 | Report abuse | Reply
  41. download ghd sports

    Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the pictures on this blog loading?
    I'm trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it's the blog.
    Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

    May 11, 2021 at 20:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  42. Mercedes Sprinter Van Service Near Me

    http://www.bookmerken.de/?url=https://sprintervanrepairshop.com/transport-truck-repair-shop-near-me

    May 11, 2021 at 20:08 | Report abuse | Reply
  43. RV Leak Los Angeles

    Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after looking at a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!

    http://exploradorcultural.com.ar/Banner.php?id=23&url=http://yelp.com/biz/ocrv-center-yorba-linda

    May 11, 2021 at 20:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  44. rv wraps before and after

    http://ytygroup.minebizs.com/Whatsapp?m=0&p=3f66a472-472c-4ec4-ae48-20d9dc2a8aa8&c=127c108a-5384-4001-849c-1d3282861335&url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=14-Dd6tpG_k

    May 11, 2021 at 21:45 | Report abuse | Reply
  45. camper inspection near me

    I wanted to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. I have got you bookmarked to check out new things you post…

    http://www.digitalstage.jp/go/r/r.cgi?t=https://ocrvart.com/rv-repair-shop-inland-empire-california

    May 11, 2021 at 22:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  46. oc towing mission viejo

    You're so cool! I do not think I've truly read through anything like this before. So wonderful to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that's needed on the internet, someone with some originality!

    http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=6&url=https://ocrv.mobi/tour-bus-collision-repair-paint-shop-near-me-orange-county

    May 12, 2021 at 00:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  47. 2006 Sprinter 3500 Repair Near Me

    http://services.accredia.it/engines/banner2/jump.jsp?idArea=234&idBanner=2&destination=https://sprintervanrepairshop.com/airstream-van-repair-near-me&gTemplate=default.jsp

    May 12, 2021 at 00:25 | Report abuse | Reply
  48. travel trailers orange county

    Your style is unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I'll just book mark this page.

    https://www.easytravel.com.tw/ehotel/hotel_sale.aspx?posvn=maple&url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=4VpVibWpXac

    May 12, 2021 at 02:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  49. rv plumbing leak

    I truly love your website.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my very own site and would like to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Cheers!

    http://www.ia.omron.com/view/log/redirect/index.cgi?url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=cOKdMyi2xhc

    May 12, 2021 at 06:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  50. 먹튀검증

    Hi, There's no doubt that your blog could be having web browser compatibility issues. When I look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in IE, it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, fantastic website!

    http://rvolchansk.ru/user/casino9x5jhtdv973

    May 12, 2021 at 12:12 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Leave a Reply to 온라인바둑이


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.