Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) 

The US NINDS and GeNeuro have entered into a research collaboration to develop treatments specifically designed to neutralize the action of pHERV-K Env in patients. This new molecule is currently in preclinical testing, with the objective of applying for an Investigational New Drug status, allowing to start clinical trials. 

ALS is a very serious progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects motor neurons in the brain and the spinal cord. While there are a few treatments that may delay the progression of the disease, there is no cure for ALS yet.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), an Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), opened a new avenue for understanding and potentially treating ALS by describing the potential involvement of the pHERV-K Env protein, identified in sporadic ALS patients, in the degeneration of motor neurons.