How We Fund ALS Research
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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

How We Fund ALS Research

The ALS Society of Canada is committed to investing our research funds where they will have the most impact.

The ALS Society of Canada funds excellent and relevant peer-reviewed research.

The ALS Society of Canada funds research that is evaluated at a high level using international evaluation methods adopted by the CIHR.

Relevant Information

Within the Neuromuscular Research Partnership the ALS Society of Canada along with Muscular Dystrophy Canada fund only research relevant to neuromuscular disease.

Again evaluation methods are used to rank proposals on their relevance to understanding, treatment and cure for neuromuscular diseases, particularly ALS.

All research funded by the ALS Society of Canada is peer-reviewed (as stated in the policies of the organization), meaning that a panel of qualified individuals review all research proposals using appropriate criteria to determine excellence and relevance and rank them accordingly.

These are all safe-guards designed to insure that donor funds directed to research will advance our understanding and get us closer to treatments or a cure for ALS.

Another way we increase the impact of our donors’ gifts is to partner with others or to find matching dollars.
 

THE NORTHERN NEURON - ALS RESEARCH IN CANADA

ALS Research News - The latest ALS als research articles.
1.  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"
2.  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"
3.  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"
4.  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"
5.  Genetic contributors to motor neuron diseases

The recent discovery of a number of genes known to cause motor neuron diseases such as ALS has provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying motor neuron degeneration, according to a recent art ◊

"Genetic contributors to motor neuron diseases"
6.  Defining survival as an outcome measure for clinical trials in ALS

Clinical trials in ALS often use patient survival as an outcome measure to examine whether a treatment prolongs life. But variables affecting survival rates – such as emergency tracheostomy – are dif ◊

"Defining survival as an outcome measure for clinical trials in ALS"
7.  Encouraging trial results for KNS-760704

At the 20th Internal Symposium on ALS/MND, researchers presented the results of a Phase 2 clinical trial testing the safety and tolerability of a drug called KNS-760704 for use by ALS patients. KNS-7 ◊

"Encouraging trial results for KNS-760704 "
8.  Molecule discovered that might help ALS Patients

University of Texas researchers identified a molecule that reduces symptoms and prolongs life in mice with a type of ALS, according to a study in the Dec. 11, 2009, issue of Science. Lead author Eric ◊

"Molecule discovered that might help ALS Patients"