New blood-based biomarkers predict when ALS symptoms will emerge A panel of proteins could help match ideal candidates with preventative trials.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-blood-based-biomarkers-predict-when-als-symptoms-will-emerge Months to several years before amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) symptoms arise, levels of certain blood proteins may dramatically shift. Researchers analyzed data from the long-running, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Pre-symptomatic Familial ALS (Pre-fALS) study, to identify a lineup of key proteins that may predict the emergence of clinically manifest ALS. By anticipating the arrival of symptoms, investigators could intervene with preventative therapies before the irreversible motor neuron damage that is characteristic of ALS sets in.