Information on ALS
The course of ALS is death of motor neurons in 3 to 5 years, in some unusual cases 10-18 years from diagnosis. In those years the body transforms merely to skin stretched over bone; muscles disappear, limbs fail, and paralysis ensues. All the while, the mind is present and aware.
The voluntary muscles are paralyzed slowly, progressively, forcing the afflicted to watch in horror as it becomes impossible to move, talk, eat, drink, and ultimately, breathe. Medical intervention sustains life often for many more years.
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Over 5,000 people are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) annually. NDR is funding novel research to bring that number to zero.
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Neurodegeneration
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks brain and spinal cord nerve cells.
The term amyotrophic originates in the Greek language and can be translated to "There is no muscle nourishment."
When a muscle is deprived of its neural connection, it "atrophies" or deteriorates.
The term "lateral" refers to the areas of a person's spinal cord that contain portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles.
As neural cells deteriorate, scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") occurs, resulting in the loss of muscle use.
While there are several drug therapies available to patients with ALS, there is currently no cure.
Unfortunately, there are currently only two ALS treatments, and each takes a one-size-fits-all approach to treating symptoms.
NDR is taking a targeted, out-of-the-box approach to improving the quality of life of people who have this horrible disease.
Current Treatments
How NDR is
Fighting ALS
NDR is funding multiple avenues of research, casting a wide net to move us closer to treatments that will enhance patients' quality of life.
Understanding this information is key to treating the root causes of ALS.
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Funding is only the beginning. NDR is unifying the efforts of ALS researchers by creating an open forum for transparency and the exchange of research findings.
We believe this will encourage new approaches to research and accelerate the development of viable treatments.
NDR's primary mission is to fund research that will bring about new treatments to those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
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To accomplish our mission, we work closely with researchers across the globe who share the same values: working toward a higher quality of life for patients and putting an end to ALS.
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Your research matters to so many people. NDR wants to help move your novel research forward.
We encourage researchers who share in this vision of hope to join us in the fight.
