NewsTarget.com December 6 2005: Ohio State researchers find treatment that may prolong the lives of Lou Gehrig's disease patients
At Ohio State University, Brian Kaspar led a study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, and the findings suggest that a combination of exercise and gene therapy could extend the life of those suffering from the fatal disease.
A study in mice gives hope that a combination of gene therapy and exercise may extend the lives of people who have Lou Gehrig's disease.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a chronic and progressive illness that leads to paralysis and ultimately death.
There are no known cures, and the only FDA-approved method for treating the disease is a drug that may extend life between three and six months, said Brian Kaspar, the study's lead author and at Ohio State University.
In the current study, the researchers looked at the effects of exercise both with and without additional gene therapy treatment.
Some mice began exercise treatment (with no gene therapy) at 40 days of age, while other mice didn't start to exercise until 90 days of age.
The mice that started exercising when they were younger lived about a month longer than the control mice, while the mice that began exercising at 90 days of age lived an average of 11 days longer than the control mice.
Studies of other neuronal diseases, such as Parkinson's and Huntington's, have suggested that exercise may actually prevent neurons from dying.
The gene they used, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), produces a hormone by the same name.
"Research suggests that exercise boosts levels of IGF-1 as well as other proteins that may be beneficial," Kaspar said.
"Combining the two had a profound effect on survival and function, suggesting that the treatments together may make a significant difference in ALS progression."
Kaspar and his colleagues have already started the next phase of the mouse study, however -- they are training mice to run on a treadmill.
" Understanding how exercise affects gene expression may help us find new therapies that slow down the progression of ALS," Kaspar said.
See more articles and news on gene therapy
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. Newstarget.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment or advice of a qualified professional. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material.