May is A-L-S Awareness Month and researchers at the University of Michigan say they are undergoing a revolution in terms of understanding the development of the neurological disorder.
About 10 percent of A-L-S cases are inherited through genetics. That means most people develop the sporadic, or non-genetic form of the disease.
U of M researchers believe that an environmental component plays a big part in getting A-L-S, and they're developing ways to test people and prevent it. Doctor Eva L. Feldman is Director of the ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. She said they've created a "risk score" test.
"Patients with ALS clearly have increased blood levels of these pollutants," Feldman explained, "If you know someone who has a polygenic risk, you can also understand what their pollutant risk is and that really can give you an idea of who is at higher risk of developing ALS."
Doctor Feldman said polygenic, or "multiple gene" scoring, identifies many small changes that occur together, rather than looking at one gene at a time. She said Michigan Medicine has also created other things like platform trials, gene therapy and immuno-therapy for A-L-S treatment as other options. Drug testing will also be conducted differently to test drugs on patients more efficiently.
Doctor Feldman said they are holding what is called "platform trials", where one group will get the placebo but five Groups will get five different drugs.
"Patients that find out they are in a placebo group are then given the opportunity to join a drug trial," she said.
Doctor Feldman also added researchers are creating tests to flag risks of developing A-L-S in connection to environmental factors and other genetic therapies. She said they are working closely with the state in hopes to make ALS a "reportable" disease.
She explained, "We feel if we can understand all the cases of ALS in Michigan, then we'll be able then to really begin to engage in prevention practices. For example, are there areas of Michigan Superfund sites that have yet to be cleaned that we should address cleaning?"
Doctor Feldman said the state has been really helpful with looking into getting the ball rolling and hopes to hear more on making ALS a mandatory reportable disease in the state of Michigan within the next three months.
