Learning more about ALS, the disease that killed actor Eric Dane
As the disease progresses, difficulties speaking, swallowing, and breathing become recurrent, severely impacting quality of life
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is in the media spotlight after actor Eric Dane, famous for his roles in television series such as Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, passed away at age 53 after his battle with the disease. Her death represents a significant loss to the entertainment industry.
ALS is a disease of the nervous system that causes the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in the gradual loss of muscle control. Often, the initial symptoms are subtle, but they progress to paralysis.
Initial symptoms may include muscle tremors and weakness in the limbs. As the disease progresses, difficulties speaking, swallowing, and breathing become recurrent, severely impacting quality of life.
Diagnosis and Treatment of ALS
Diagnosing ALS can be complicated due to the lack of definitive tests. Doctors require a combination of physical exams, lab tests, and imaging studies to evaluate symptoms. The disease is slightly more common in men than in women and tends to strike in middle age, between 40 and 60 years old. Although there is no cure for ALS, medications such as riluzole have been approved, which can prolong life in the early stages. Patients often require palliative care and support for mobility and communication in advanced stages. With increasing prevalence and projections indicating that ALS cases in the United States could exceed 36,000 by 2030, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raising awareness is critical. The average life expectancy for patients after diagnosis is two to five years, which underscores the urgency of continuing research and support for the affected community. It is also called Lou Gehrig's disease, named after the New York Yankees player and Hall of Famer. Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939, on his 36th birthday.On her 10th birthday, she died in 1941 and was the face of ALS for decades, recalls the Associated Press (AP).
Factors that contribute to the development of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis does not have a single exact cause, but it is associated with a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Differences with other neurodegenerative diseases
ALS is distinguished from other neurodegenerative diseases by its selective impact on motor neurons, which causes progressive muscle weakness without initially altering cognition. Unlike disorders such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, ALS does not primarily affect memory or involuntary movement, but rather voluntary motor control.
ALS causes muscle weakness, speech and swallowing problems, affecting motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain, while Alzheimer's impairs memory and thinking due to damage to the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.
In ALS, the loss of motor neurons predominates, with purely motor symptoms and rapid progression; Parkinson's involves dopaminergic neurons, tremors, rigidity, and an initial response to levodopa.
Vs. Multiple sclerosis. ALS is purely neurodegenerative and progressive, without remissions, damaging motor neurons; multiple sclerosis is autoimmune, affects myelin with variable relapses and remissions, and has sensory as well as motor symptoms.
Existing Therapies
Therapy for ALS focuses on slowing progression, relieving symptoms, and improving quality of life, as there is no cure. It includes approved medications, multidisciplinary therapies, and experimental approaches in development.
Approved medications. Riluzole is the main drug available in Europe and Latin America, which reduces glutamate excitotoxicity and prolongs survival by months. Others such as Edaravone (Radicava) and Tofersen (Qalsody) are approved in some countries for specific cases, such as SOD1 genetic mutations.
Promising options include CNM-Au8 (gold nanocrystals for neuronal energy), PrimeC (an anti-inflammatory combination), and cell therapies such as RAPA-501, in advanced stages of clinical trials with encouraging results in slowing progression.