Proteins might be behind neurological disease in older persons

Research suggests that seniors with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), like those receiving Alzheimer's care, might have developed the disease as a consequence of the behavior of their proteins.


Scientists at Lund University in Sweden have images of proteins changing shape and becoming structures that could be responsible for the neurological disease, ALS. When two proteins stick together, they can form the cornerstone of the larger structures that some experts think underlie ALS.


The researchers hope that with this knowledge of protein behavior, creating drugs to fight the condition could become a possibility.


The Mayo Clinic says about two people per 100,000 suffer from ALS worldwide.

Five to 10 percent of sufferers inherited the disease, and doctors have not found evidence why some people are more likely to develop the sickness than others.


The clinic says that ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness. Slurring of speech is also an initial sign of the disease. ALS eventually prevents sufferers from moving and can also affect their ability to eat, speak and breath. Unfortunately, the disease is currently incurable.


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