ALS Researchers - Introduction

The ALS Society of Canada mission is to fund research for a cure for ALS.

Since 2000 we have funded research in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

This NEUROMUSCULAR RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP works with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to fund excellent and relevant research.

We fund only the most promising projects by the finest scientists and, over the years, this strategy has been rewarded with significant advances in our knowledge of ALS. With the acceleration of results due to advances in neurology and other areas of science, we know that, effective therapies and a cure are now, more than ever, within reach.

For decades, Canadian researchers have been world leaders in the search for the causes, cures and treatment of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders.

Fourth Edition of the Northern Neuron

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 entire Northern Neuron
View abstracts of articles in English
View abstracts of articles in French

Research News Special Report

The Research News Special Report summarizes the discussions, presentations and posters from the annual International Symposium on ALS /MND symposium, informing readers of the breakthrough research in ALS ongoing internationally

Download: Research News Special Report English
Download: Research News Special Report French

Seventh Neuromuscular Research Partnership Competition
For more information click the link below:
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/30082.html

Specific Objectives and Eligible Research Areas
The specific objective of this request is:

To collectively fund health research by providing operating grants in the area of neuromuscular disorders which will ultimately result in discovering the cause, treatments and an eventual cure for these disorders.
The following broad categories of research are eligible for funding:

Basic research involving muscle or nerve biology relevant to neuromuscular disease.
Focused research directed toward an understanding of neuromuscular disease.
Applied research encompassing research designed specifically to translate promising research advances from basic research and focused research into pre-clinical and clinical investigations relevant to treatment of neuromuscular disease, but not including drug trials.

There are over 100 neuromuscular disorders within the following broad categories:·
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Spinal muscular atrophies
Diseases of the neuromuscular junction
Muscular dystrophies (e.g., Duchenne, Becker)
Inflammatory myopathies
Myotonia
Metabolic or endocrine diseases of muscle
Congenital myopathies
Other disorders

FOR ALL OTHER INFORMATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

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"