Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Lou Gehrig's Disease

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

A Look at ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, is a neurological disease that disrupts the functioning of motor neurons in the afflicted person. Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in the US, developing the disease usually guarantees that a premature death is unavoidable. ALS is a degenerative disease, which means nerve cells deteriorate, but all neurological disorders involve the exacerbation of neuron functioning, so what sets ALS apart from other neurological diseases? According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS 2013), typical ALS patients are characterized by the steady failure and decline of functioning motor neurons. A common and fit person unaffiliated by ALS

Primarily the basic functioning of the cell influences the development of the disease. Cells must be able to transport materials and messages from all over the body, and along a motor neuron’s axon in order to preserve the life of a nerve cell, but research suggests that the motor neurons can be vulnerable to any defect that might hinder axon transport. Apoptosis, or the systematic process of cell death, in which cells receive insufficient amounts of materials, has been a part of designing effective treatments for ALS, as it is at the core of the disease. Apoptosis is a normal physiologic occurrence; actually, being regarded as a central part of the nervous system’s growth (ALS Association, 2016). If there is a case of extreme apoptosis, problems may arise. Alternatively, while apoptosis might be part of the development of the nervous system, necrosis results from a direct injury or infection to the nervous system. The process of necrosis involves an explosion of the cellular content, creating a mess of

Neurotransmitters, like glutamate, are messengers that pass signals from one neuron to another, thereby communicating to receiving neurons whether to fire off its own neurotransmitters, or not. If a neuron has a prolonged excitatory period from excessive glutamate, the results can be lethal (ALS Association, 2016). Glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, becomes harmful when neuron’s messages become unusual and overwhelming e.g. in the case of a stroke. Responsibility of concentrating glutamate equally around the neurons falls to molecules called transporters. When it is not properly concentrated and causing an overflow of excitatory responses, glutamate is an issue. Nevertheless, excessive glutamate can be problematic in ALS patients and treatment involves being able to deliver glutamate transporters to ALS affected