Which biological factors signal the risk for developing ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease with no cure. Most studies of ALS use blood samples taken after someone is diagnosed, when a lot of nerve damage has already happened. This project will study blood samples from people before they developed ALS and compare them with samples from healthy people of the same age and sex. Using advanced protein-testing methods, scientists will search for early signs in the body that may predict who will develop ALS as well as any factors that may influence how quickly the disease progresses. They will also test whether certain immune and autoimmune conditions are connected to a higher risk of ALS. The results may lead to new ways to diagnose ALS earlier and identify people at risk, which could ultimately guide the development of better treatments. People with ALS, their families, and the broader medical community will benefit from the insights gained through this research.