Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: current practice and future treatments

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Clinical Care

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) knowledge is rapidly expanding, with over 1700 publications in the last two years.
• Patient care for ALS requires continuous updates due to exponential knowledge growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current evidence-based care for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.
• To explore emerging treatments and novel therapeutic targets for ALS.
• To identify and address barriers in developing advanced ALS therapeutics.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of over 1700 articles on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• Synthesis of current clinical practices for ALS patient management.
• Analysis of ongoing research into new ALS treatment options and technologies.

Main Results:

• Current ALS care incorporates evidence-based practices for diagnosis, riluzole use, multidisciplinary teams, ventilation, and symptom management.
• Novel therapeutic strategies targeting motor neurons, nonneuronal cells, and specific ALS subtypes are under investigation.
• Barriers to developing improved ALS therapeutics have been identified, with potential solutions proposed.

Conclusions:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care has become significantly more evidence-based.
• Promising new therapies are in development that could revolutionize ALS treatment.
• Identified barriers to therapeutic development are surmountable, paving the way for future advancements.