MGH Neurology

07/15/2025

Check out this new paper in Frontiers where researchers evaluated the effectiveness of home-based spirometry in people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Spirometry measures respiratory function, which is a critical indicator of ALS progression. Offering remote testing could make assessments more accessible and frequent for participants.

Read the full paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fneur.2025.1588992/full

IntroductionMonitoring respiratory function is essential for assessing the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and planning interventions. Rem...

07/10/2025

In this international collaborative review, researchers review the recent advances and ongoing initiatives to treat primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, there are no disease-modifying medications available, but global collaborative efforts are paving the way for the first clinical trials for people living with PLS.

You can read the full paper here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21678421.2025.2527123

This is a significant milestone in the PLS field. Stay tuned to learn more about the next international gathering.

07/07/2025

Please join us on Thursday, 7/10, at 5:00 pm ET for a brief presentation and Q&A session on Expanded Access Protocols (EAPs). This week, guest speaker Dr. Rick Bedlack of Duke University will be sharing his perspective and experience with EAPs.

Register: https://partners.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JW9rQBhTRFW5uoUIDtJguw #/registration

Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) ALS ONE I AM ALS EverythingALS Les Turner ALS Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Association ALS TDI The ALS Association

07/03/2025

Check out this new systematic review and meta-analysis in NeuroImage: Clinical.

Researchers assessed 30 studies and found that changes in cervical spinal cord quantitative MRI (qMRI) are promising imaging markers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Advancing and expanding biomarker research is important to improve how we track disease progression for people with ALS.

Read more here:

07/03/2025

A new paper in PLOS One proposes an innovative way to fund drug development for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Using data from the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial, researchers propose a new approach to overcome challenges in financing ALS clinical trials and attract more investors. This novel approach could make the process of delivering therapies to people with ALS faster and more efficient.

Read the full paper here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0325826

And the press release here: https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/press-releases/novel-adaptive-platform-trial-fund-offers-new-model-for-als-drug-development

07/02/2025

The Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS is pleased to announce the successful integration of placebo data from the first five regimens of the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial into the PRO-ACT database - the world’s largest ALS clinical trials dataset.

By contributing to PRO-ACT, we are giving scientists access to the tools they need to make discoveries faster. Placebo data is now helping researchers answer critical questions about how ALS works and how to design better, more efficient trials.

Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, principal investigator and sponsor of the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial, shares, “Open science and collaboration are essential to driving progress in ALS. By making this information available through the PRO-ACT database, we hope to foster research partnerships and accelerate the development of effective therapies for people living with ALS.”

Read the full press release here: https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/als/news/platform-trial-placebo-data-integrated-into-pro-act-database

07/01/2025

Recently, Dr. Merit Cudkowicz sat down for an inspiring conversation with Mass General Brigham Neurology resident Dylan Neel. She discussed how she became interested in neuroscience and her passion for advancing clinical trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Check out the full interview here:

“We need to lower barriers for patient enrollment into trials in the US”

06/23/2025

Please join us on Thursday, 6/26, at 5:00 pm ET for a brief presentation and Q&A session on the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial. This week, guest speaker Anne Marie Doyle from the Les Turner ALS Foundation will be joining us.

Register: https://partners.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JW9rQBhTRFW5uoUIDtJguw #/registration

Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) ALS ONE I AM ALS EverythingALS Muscular Dystrophy Association ALS TDI The ALS Association

06/18/2025

06/17/2025

On June 17, Dr. Merit Cudkowicz appeared on Good Morning America alongside actor Eric Dane and Diane Sawyer. During the segment, Eric Dane, who was recently diagnosed with ALS, shared his experience with the disease and the hope he found in Dr. Cudkowicz's groundbreaking work.

You can check out the full interview here:

The actor told Diane Sawyer he has lost use of his right arm amid his battle with ALS.

06/17/2025

Dane opened up about his health battle with ABC News' Diane Sawyer.

06/10/2025

Please join us on Thursday, 6/12, at 5:00 pm EDT for a brief presentation and Q&A session on Expanded Access Protocols (EAPs). This week, guest speaker Jesse Markway of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri will share his site's experience with EAPs.

Register: https://partners.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JW9rQBhTRFW5uoUIDtJguw #/registration

Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) ALS ONE I AM ALS EverythingALS Les Turner ALS Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Association ALS TDI The ALS Association