Early detection of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

María del Valle Palomo

Fundación IMDEA Nanociencia, Madrid, Spain

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease that quickly weakens muscles and leads to the loss of movement. In ALS, individuals gradually lose the ability to walk, speak, and even breathe. Sadly, after receiving a diagnosis, most patients live only between 2 and 5 years. There is no cure for this disease, and giving the final diagnosis can be challenging, causing delays to begin the right care.

It is known that ALS is associated with changes in certain proteins, but until now it has been complicated to measure these molecular signs in patients. Most tests focus on how much a person’s muscles have weakened or what movements have been lost, but this usually happens after significant damage has occurred. What is needed is a way to detect and monitor the disease much earlier, giving people the chance to get help sooner and increasing the likelihood that treatments will be effective.

The team lead by Valle Palomo at IMDEA Nanociencia has now found a simple way to use a small blood sample to look for these early changes linked to ALS. Their method could give an answer about whether someone has the disease, even at its early stages, helping doctors decide sooner what care and support each person needs, choose better treatment options, and check how the disease is changing over time. The goal is to make this test available in clinics, so that anyone with early symptoms of ALS can get a fast, reliable answer, giving them hope and a wider range of options for the future.

A TDP-43 sensor for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases

Stage 2