CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Prize4life and the Alzheimer Research Forum announce the release of the ALS Forum (www.ResearchALS.org), a web-based resource for researchers interested in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or motor neuron disease.
The site is modeled on the Alzheimer Research Forum’s popular website, www.alzforum.org, and is the first step in Prize4Life’s efforts to build a similar set of tools for ALS researchers.
ALS is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease that causes gradual paralysis, usually resulting in death within 2-5 years of diagnosis. There is currently no cure for the disease and only one FDA-approved treatment, which extends life by a few months. The disease affects about 600,000 people worldwide, and very little is known about the factors that cause it.
The ALS Forum represents a joint effort to increase the quantity and quality of relevant resources for researchers interested in ALS. It features a variety of useful resources for the ALS research community, including:
- Cutting edge coverage of ALS-related research news produced by Alzforum’s science writers,
- A continuously updated database of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies working on drug development projects relevant to the ALS research community,
- A continuously updated set of links to recent ALS-relevant drug development news,
- A list of upcoming scientific conferences of interest to the ALS community, and
- A collection of recommended ALS review articles
“The mission of the Alzforum has always included supporting research in other neurodegenerative diseases besides Alzheimer’s,” said June Kinoshita, Executive Editor of the Alzforum. “Through strategic partnerships with other organizations, we’ve been able to build valuable tools for researchers in schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. The ALS Forum represents another exciting opportunity to strengthen the neurodegenerative disease research community and foster discussion and collaboration among scientists worldwide.”
“Our goal is to create a one-stop shop for veteran ALS researchers as well as those new to the field,” said Melanie Leitner, Prize4Life’s Chief Scientific Officer. “We hope this portal will benefit the ALS research community by making it easier for all researchers to rapidly find and access high quality ALS research-related information and tools. We are excited to be able to provide this resource, thanks to the generous support of our donors around the world.”
Users can access the ALS Forum at www.ResearchALS.org.
About Prize4Life
Prize4Life was founded by a group of Harvard Business School students when one of them, Avi Kremer, was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 29. The first disease-oriented organization to utilize the incentive prize model to address neurodegenerative disease, Prize4Life focuses specifically on finding treatments and cures for ALS. The organization seeks to attract new minds, media, and money to the battle against ALS so as to leverage vital existing ALS research efforts and accelerate the translational research process.
About the Alzforum
The Alzheimer Research Forum, also known as the Alzforum, is an online research community dedicated to furthering research into Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. To date, more than 50% of Alzheimer’s disease researchers worldwide belong to the Alzforum and depend on it for up-to-date news about the field, databases of essential research data and reagents, and a variety of on-line forums for discussion with fellow researchers.