Drexel University College of Medicine

THE MDA/ALS CENTER OF HOPE

Clinical Trials
The MDA/ALS Center of Hope is a national site for industry supported clinical trials involving promising therapeutics. As a compliment to its industry driven trials, the Center engages in investigator-driven research ranging from tests on available compounds to large, complex trials of proprietary drugs. Recent trials have included AEOLUS AVP-923, Arimoclomol, Ceftriaxone, CC-11006, Co-enzyme Q10, Neurodex, Xaliproden, CNTF, riluzole, BDNF, topiramate, xaliproden, creatine and celebrex. To learn more about our services, visit http://alshopefoundation.org/drugTrials.php.

Symptom Management and Patient Care
The MDA/ALS Center of Hope also is engaged in a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment of symptom management and patient care. This means that upon visiting the center, the individual with ALS will be seen by a team of healthcare professionals who will approach each case from every medical angle. During a single visit, the ALS patient and his or her caregivers meet with every member of our team. Although this obviously means that the visit will be long, it also ensures that it is comprehensive. The multidisciplinary approach evolved so that all of the individual's needs and problems can be addressed at each and every visit. It also allows the team members to communicate much more effectively and share information, improving the quality of care for each patient.

In addition to doctors, our team is comprised of a Clinical Nurse, Mental Health Specialist, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech/Language Pathologist, and a Dietician/Nutritionist. To learn more about our services, visit http://alshopefoundation.org/service.php.

THE ALS BASIC RESEARCH LABORATORY

ALS Therapy Research
The ALS Basic Research Laboratory maintains a colony of transgenic mice expressing a human mutant SOD1 (the gene associated with the familial form of ALS in humans). These mice develop a progression of symptoms and pathology that is very similar to human ALS. Current research hones in on a number of disease progression indicators. One prominent effort hones in on a number of disease progression indicators by using the mice to tests the effectiveness of new candidate compounds. Involved compounds include those that are readily available, as well as others in pre-clinical development at pharmaceutical companies.

ALS Basic Science Research
Using the mouse model, university investigators conduct basic science research into the mechanisms underlying the development of the disease. The range of current projects includes examining the role of glutamate transporters in relation to elevations in glutamate in the ALS mouse model and testing the effect of the SOD1 mutation on the ability of motor neurons to transduce neurotrophic factor signals. Other projects involve using stem cells to investigate and ameliorate the disease environment, and searching for genetic modifiers in different strains of mice that influence the onset and progression of motor neuron degeneration.

Together these experiments provide us with information on possible therapies, and also help us probe the nature of the disease, which remains a mystery.
To learn more about our research, visit http://alshopefoundation.org/research.php.

Drexel University College of Medicine's ALS research has been supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), the ALS Association, and the ALS Hope Foundation.