UM doing some clinical trials on patients with ALS, with positive results.
It appears that Michigan is leading the way once again in the medical world. This time they are doing some great work with patients who have Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). In the clinical trials they have helped patients improve, which is unheard of with patients with the disease. Obviously it is still very early in the process, but this is great news.
From the article: "Soon after the first surgery, Harada stopped using a cane. He regained strength in his arms and hands and even participated in a three-mile walk to raise awareness about Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an aggressive, progressive neuro-degenerative disorder that affects the nerves and brain."
As someone who has seen this disease tear through his family, I can tell you this progress is the most encouraging thing I've seen since I can remember. Those who don't know ALS is pretty much a 2 to 3 year death sentance. It can take someone at any age and is (or is partially) genetic. My dad lost his mother, both brothers and several cousins to this shitty disease, so there is always worry about who is next. Pretty shitty.
Thanks for the post
so there is always worry about who is next.Is there no way to screen for the disease or does this fall under the category of rather not know since there isn't much you can do about it anyway?
This is Michigan
It's great to be...
My mother died from complications due to ALS. She had a long disease course (about 13 years) and was atypical in that sense. ALS is one of those incurable conditions, so this news is absolutely stunning.
I also have lost someone to this awful disease where the affected person watches helplessly as their body shuts down while their mind remains sharp (and aware of their progressive decline in function). A REAL treatment that would slow or reverse this disease would be a medical miracle.
Thanks for posting. Go Blue!
"The four patients who stabilized or improved in Phase I of the trial had two clinical features in common: At the time of surgery, they were early in the course of their disease — an average of two years and one month after the onset of symptoms. They also had none of the ALS symptoms known as “bulbarfeatures” — trouble speaking or swallowing."
Hopefully, further phases of the research are equally promising. I have also had a couple relatives die due to complications brought on by ALS, and there have been cases on my wife's side of the family as well. As I recall from reading, the median survival time from onset to death is 39 months right now, so anything which can potentially improve that is definitely excellent news.
My dad died almost 4 years ago to the day from ALS. Good to hear progress is being made but hurts that it couldn't have been a bit sooner.
I never found the dying part as bad as seeing someone you love very slowly deteriorate and can't do anything to stop it. It's also very difficult and stressful to 100% take care of another person who can't even move.
My dad also passed from ALS almost 4 years ago. His onset was incredibly fast. Diagnosed in June, passed in September. He passed the day that was to be my wedding day. My wife and I had secretly learned to dance the tango as we were going to surprise him with that that as our first dance, since he loved watching his parents dance it.
The next day I took my 12 year old nephew to the Michigan/ND game where Tate Forcier hit Greg Mathews for the win in the final minute. That game was the first kindling of happiness I felt in any form after he passed. Thanks Michigan football and thanks Michigan for this great progress on ALS.
It's not full-blown ALS, so she's been gradually declining for about 15 years or more, but the effects are nonetheless horrible anyhow. She's too old for this research to help, but it's great that young people today can be helped.
I know this isn't the topic of the OP, but as long as we're discussing diseases that have long been incurable, there is a remarkable new therapy for Parkinson's: http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/07/08/a-brain-pacemaker/
(* My mom passed away on the day of that Notre Dame game in 2009. My sympathies to you and yours.)
Likewise.
I've been there and feel your pain. I moved back home less than 2 years after graduation in order to help take care of my mom. I had many sleepless nights, no social life, a static career, and a long-distance relationship (and eventually a wedding to plan) while living at home. When you have to do literally everything for your parent, it's heartbreaking. For my mom, it'll be 8 years this August. She passed away exactly 1 month to the day before my daughter - her first grandchild - was born.
These are diseases that can't be studied enough today (along with others, but these ones are personal). They take people that live perfectly capable lives and drastically affect them, deteriorating them. All these diseases have affected family and friends of mine, and it's great to see progress being made. It seems like there is progress being made daily with new advancements or at least evidence to help offset some of the problems, many of which comes from UM.
Add me to the list of those with a parent (father) slowiy dying of this awful disease.
These breakthroughs are wonderful, but will sadly come too late for my family at least.
as sad as it is to hear so many with direct connections to those involved, because it leads to more focus on therapy/cure, and quicker recognition of the early symptoms. Michael Zaslo, a well-loved actor who had starred for years on Guiding Light was fired because he was slurring his speech, and it was assumed that he was drinking. He knew he didn't have a drinking problem, but he had no idea he had ALS. So added to his future suffering from the disease was the suffering due to ignorance of the disease, his own, the producers' and probably that of many fans.
But once it had been diagnosed, another soap (One Life to Live) brought back a character he had played for them in between his Guiding Light gigs, now returning to town as a sufferer of ALS. He, his wife and friends started an MLS foundation in the few months before he died. (Link: A brief obit from the NYTimes.)
So, by default, you can see how this disease has affected my family. One of his brothers, my grandfather, lived with us for a good stint of his time as this took hold of his life. Like many have already said here, it is tragic. The experience has shaped my life to always try and live in the moment and to be thankful for the time you have.
- LB
As this is still a very tough subject, I lost my Dad to ALS just in April. He suffered for nearly 10 years. He was lucky in a way to have such a slow progressing version (he has 12 grandchilden and he was able to see them all born), but at the same time, it was one of the most painful things I've watched someone go through. He's a UofM Med Grad, so he's obviously sharp as a tack, and the disease didn't take any of that, just his physical abilities. It became more and more difficult to longer he went on. It's such a tortuous disease that I wouldn't even wish this on any of my worst enemies. Luckily he stayed positive through the entire process and never asked "why me" or even complained about it. If it wasn't for his positive attitude and his selflessness, I don't know if I could made it through and I didn't even have the disease.
For those of you who are familiar with the disease, he did get tested and it is not the familial version, so the rest of the family is a bit safer (no one is ever completely safe). I think that fact is what got him through some of the tough times, knowing his kids were safe and he didn't pass it on.
I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope they find something to fight this disease. It's a terrible disease.
Thanks for posting, it's great positive news is coming out of UofM, but for this, I don't care what school or facility it's coming out of, positive news about ALS is positive news.