2018 and earlier

The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations will host a one-day Allied Professionals Forum at the Westin Boston Waterfront, Boston, USA on 7 December 2017. This seminar, specifically for allied health and social care professionals, is held between the International Alliance Meeting (5-6 December) and the International Symposium on ALS/MND (8-10 December). The Allied Professionals Forum is an opportunity for health professionals

The Motor Neurone Disease Association is pleased to announce the publication of the first announcement and call for papers for the 28th International Symposium on ALS/MND that will be held in Boston, USA on 8-10 December 2017. The abstract deadline is 26 May 2017 with the online submission system opening in late March 2017.

ALSUntangled reviews alternative and off-label treatments (AOTs) for people with ALS (PALS). In their latest review they evaluate Acuscope therapy for ALS (in response to 395 requests). Acuscope, also known as Electro-Acuscope, is a device that can deliver very low amplitude (micro-Amp) electrical stimulation to muscle. The review found there is no clear mechanism of action that would be useful to PALS and that, following the ALSUntangled review of trials and cases, Acuscope could not be endorsed for use to slow, stop or reverse ALS progression. You can read the full paper here http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03007995.2017.1285468?needAccess=true and find our more about ALSuntagled here http://www.alsuntangled.com/

A study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology on 3 March, led by University of Queensland researchers Associate Professor Trent Woodruff and Dr John Lee, has found the drug “PMX205” extends the life of mice that have a SOD1 mutation, when administered before or during very early disease onset. More studies are now underway to determine the safety of PMX205 before it can be tested in humans. 'Pharmacological inhibition of complement C5a-C5a1 receptor signalling ameliorates disease pathology in the hSOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis' tttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.13730/full

Congratulations to Dr Thanuja Dharmadasa from Brain And Mind Centre, University of Sydney, who has been awarded the Susie Harris Travel Fellowship 2017. Thanuja will visit the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK, and attend the 28th International Symposium on ALS/MND in Boston to present the findings of her PhD 'Motor Neurone Disease: site of origin and patterns of disease spread'.