The Northern Neuron
Make a Difference
PLEASE NOTE:
As of November 23, 2009, ALS Canada has a new address and phone number:
3000 Steeles Avenue East, Suite 200
Markham, Ontario L3R 4T9
Phone: 905-248-2052   Fax: 905-248-2019

The Northern Neuron

Fourth Edition
ALS Researchers across Canada 

In the fourth edition of the Northern Neuron we inform readers of the promising new directions in neuromuscular research conducted by Canada’s leading scientists. The current issue features highlights from the fifth annual ALS Canada Research Forum and the research funding initiatives undertaken by ALS Canada.

Feel free to pass it along or request more copies to distribute to friends and family members. The publication is available in a hard copy print out; please contact the ALS Society of Canada if you require a hard copy.

This publication is the property of the ALS Society of Canada and no part may be reproduced without its prior permission. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the ALS Society of Canada.


  • Download the English Northern Neuron (1.9 MB) 

    View abstracts of articles in English
    View abstracts of articles in French


    Third Edition
    ALS Researchers across Canada

    In the third edition of the Northern Neuron we inform readers of the promising new directions in neuromuscular research conducted by Canada’s leading scientists. The current issue features highlights from the fifth annual ALS Canada Research Forum and the research funding initiatives undertaken by ALS Canada.

    Feel free to pass it along or request more copies to distribute to friends and family members. The publication is available in a hard copy print out; please contact the ALS Society of Canada if you require a hard copy.

    This publication is the property of the ALS Society of Canada and no part may be reproduced without its prior permission. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the ALS Society of Canada. 

    • ALS Research News - The latest ALS als research articles.
    1.  Study Links Neurodegeneration in Head Trauma and ALS

    Nearly four years since researchers identified the mystery component of toxic protein aggregates in ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)-affected motor neurons as TAR DNA-binding protein ( ◊

    "Study Links Neurodegeneration in Head Trauma and ALS"
    2.  New Genes, Proteins and Biomarkers

    Buried deep within thick skulls and boney spines, the neurons of the central nervous system are, perhaps, the most protected cells of the body. This is good news for healthy neurons, but bad news for ◊

    "New Genes, Proteins and Biomarkers"
    3.  A clinical study of Ceftriaxone in ALS

    A clinical study of Ceftriaxone in ALS. ◊

    "A clinical study of Ceftriaxone in ALS"
    4.  ALS Vaccine To Target Misfolded SOD1

    Mutations in the gene encoding superoxide dismutase cause approximately 20 per cent of familial ALS cases, according to a paper recently published in Human Molecular Genetics. ◊

    "ALS Vaccine To Target Misfolded SOD1"
    5.  Is BMAA a neurotoxin relevant to ALS?

    Cyanobacteria, also known as the blue-green algae that smother ponds, lakes and seas around the world, produce several toxins. Among them is beta-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), an amino acid that some ◊

    "Is BMAA a neurotoxin relevant to ALS?"
    6.  Neurodegenerative Disease Research Accelerates

    While scientists worldwide strive to understand neurodegeneration and find ways to slow or stop it, variations in how they perform experiments and interpret their findings can slow the global effort t ◊

    "Neurodegenerative Disease Research Accelerates"
    7.  ALSUntangled investigates stem cell transplants in Mexico and Germany

    Although stem cell transplants might eventually represent an effective treatment for ALS, many challenges need to be overcome, such as how to deliver the cells into motor areas throughout the nervous ◊

    "ALSUntangled investigates stem cell transplants in Mexico and Germany"
    8.  Guidelines for preclinical animal research

    We know more about the biology underlying ALS than ever before, but little of this knowledge has been translated into effective treatments for patients. ◊

    "Guidelines for preclinical animal research"
    9.  Clive Svendsen Received Sheila Essey Award for ALS Research

    The American Academy of Neurology has announced that Clive Svendsen, PhD, a scientist at the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute in Los Angeles, CA, received the 2010 Sheila Essey Award for A ◊

    "Clive Svendsen Received Sheila Essey Award for ALS Research"
    10.  New Mutation Associated with Familial ALS

    Researchers from Imperial College London have discovered a new genetic mutation associated with ALS. ◊

    "New Mutation Associated with Familial ALS"
    11.  Lithium trial failure raises hope for future success

    Treating ALS patients with lithium and riluzole is no better than treating them with riluzole alone, according to a report published April 6 in Lancet Neurology. ◊

    "Lithium trial failure raises hope for future success"
    12.  Phase 1 clinical trial of ISIS-SOD1Rx initiated

    On March 5, 2010, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it initiated a Phase 1 study of ISIS-SOD1Rx, an antisense drug designed to inhibit the production of a mutant enzyme implicated in the approx ◊

    "Phase 1 clinical trial of ISIS-SOD1Rx initiated"
    13.  Abnormal SOD1 folding is unique to familial ALS, researchers say

    Mutations in the gene encoding superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) cause up to 20 per cent of inherited ALS cases (familial ALS). They’ve even been observed in a small fraction of sporadic cases. It has bee ◊

    "Abnormal SOD1 folding is unique to familial ALS, researchers say"
    14.  Swimming-based exercise preserves motor neuron function

    Whether exercise predisposes to or protects against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a topic of ongoing debate. ◊

    "Swimming-based exercise preserves motor neuron function"
    15.  Synapse formation can be triggered artificially

    The formation of synapses – the junctions through which neurotransmitters relay chemical signals allowing neurons to communicate information – typically requires contact between presynaptic and postsy ◊

    "Synapse formation can be triggered artificially"
    16.  Phase 3 talampanel trial begins

    Talampanel, a drug currently not approved in Canada or the United States, is undergoing an international Phase 3 trial involving 500 patients with ALS in centres across Europe, Canada and the US. In a ◊

    "Phase 3 talampanel trial begins"