Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a devastating disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of the motor cells in the spinal cord and brain (central nervous system). This degeneration inhibits nerve impulses from getting to the muscles. Eventually, a person with ALS experiences muscle weakness and deterioration, particularly of the muscles used to move the arms and legs as well as those involved in speech, swallowing, and breathing. The cause is unknown, and at present there is no cure. ALS research at the MIHG is multi-faceted. We collaborate with many different groups and institutions to find the genetic causes of ALS. For more than 20 years, the ALS group has been collaborating with researchers at Vanderbilt University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Northwestern University to identify the gene(s) which predispose some families to develop ALS. We search for the genetic factors involved in both the familial and non-familial forms of ALS. In addition, we focus specifically on those rare large ALS families that have many family members with the disease. We also study how the environment interacts with genes to cause ALS. Our Collaborative Amyotrophic Sclerosis Study (CALSS) has greatly extended the genetic knowledge of ALS to include genes on chromosomes 9, 16, 18, 20 and X in very large families with many family members with ALS; as well as additional genes on chromosomes 2, 7, 8, 17, 18, and 19 in the smaller and non-familial ALS cases.