In the 70 years since Lou Gehrig announced to the world that he had "been given a bad break", clinicians and scientists have learned a great deal about potential causes and possible treatments for ALS. While the cure lies in the future, we are making progress and every day we get a little closer. With each new patient and family member we meet, we are motivated to work harder, longer and faster to find the cure.
The Emory ALS Center is actively engaged in research ranging from basic enquiries into the causes of ALS to clinical trials of new drugs in people with ALS. Our research laboratories are located within the Emory Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, where investigators from a wide variety of backgrounds work together to understand the causes and possible treatments for number of Neurodegenerative Diseases, including ALS. We believe that working together with our colleagues who study Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinsons Disease and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system we will discover common mechanisms of disease that will help us progress faster toward a cure. We are also active research participants in the efforts of the Packard Center for ALS Research to provide the most innovative research into the causes of ALS.
Basic Science Research
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Studies in mutant SOD1 ALS mice: Left: Nerve fibers (green) pull away from connections with muscles (red). A = normal, B = abnormal (as in ALS). Center: spinal cord from mouse. Right: Motor neuron from mouse. |
Basic science research involves studying disease at the molecular or cellular level using test tubes, petri dishes and animal models that mimic diseases in humans. The information gathered from basic science research is fundamental for applying new discoveries to patient care. Basic science research does not necessarily produce results that are immediately relevant for medical care, but the knowledge gained is essential for understanding the changes in cells and molecules that cause disease. The knowledge gained from basic science experiments will help find new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent human diseases.
At Emory, faculty laboratories are staffed by undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and research technicians who utilize the most sophisticated techniques and technologies to investigate why motor neurons degenerate in people with ALS. Just as important is the development of models of disease where we can test treatments that have the potential for protecting motor neurons in people with ALS. For more information on basic science research at Emory, please see the following links:
Center for Neurodegenerative Disease
Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Clinical Research
Clinical research studies involves people, but do not involve treatment with an experimental drug or testing of an experimental device.
These studies may help doctors, researchers and scientists learn more about the disease, so that they may diagnose, prevent, treat or cure the disease. This type of research often does not directly benefits the participant, but the knowledge gained may help others in the future.
We are involved in a wide variety of clinical research projects at the Emory ALS Center. Participation in our clinical research projects ranges from a one-time blood donation to the most generous gift of tissue donation. Among these projects, we are studying people with ALS to gain knowledge about the genetic causes of disease in families with inherited ("familial") ALS, in addition to investigating whether there is a gentic predisposition or susceptibility to disease in patients with non-inherited ("sporadic") ALS. We are also investigating new techniques to diagnose ALS and measure disease progression.
Clinical Research Projects at Emory
Clinical Trials
Clinical trails are health-related studies in people that are closely supervised and carefully follow a pre-defined protocol. Each study answers scientific questions and tries to find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose or treat a disease. Clinical trails may be done to see how a new treatment compares with the standard treatment or to see if a new treatment is safe and effective for a certain condition or disease. Participation in this type of research involves treatment with an experimental treatment or medical device, which may or may not provide a direct benefit to the individual. A clinical trail must be conducted for all new treatments before the FDA will approve the treatment for the public.
The Emory ALS Center is actively engaged in research projects involving clinical trials of new medications to slow the progression of ALS.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clinical Trials
We at the Emory ALS Center are passionate about providing the best care for patients and families, but we are also passionate about finding causes and cures for this disease. This dual mission of the Emory ALS Center requires support for foundations, government, and individuals. We are fortunate to have the support of both the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the ALS Association of Georgia, as well as research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Packard Center for ALS Research, and Emory University. Of course, our ability to provide resources to patients and innovative research is directly related to funding these two important missions. There are many ways that you can participate, and we welcome any help you can prodive. How You Can Help Page
