Since 1977, the Les Turner ALS Foundation has been Chicagoland's leader in patient services, research, and education for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and other motor neuron diseases (MND).
A new study from Foundation researcher Dr. Teepu Siddique and his team has identified a faulty protein pathway as a common cause of all forms of ALS, the first time a common cause has been identified. In addition, Dr. Siddique and team have published a second paper identifying another contributor to this faulty pathway. Please click to read full coverage of this important discovery. Many thanks to our wonderful donors and friends who share in the progress we've made thus far. Your generosity has made this possible!
In November, the Foundation was part of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations annual meetings in Sydney, Australia. Please visit the MND research blog to read through the highlights and find out about some of the new research presented there.
Our latest print newsletter is now online. You can read the current issue, or visit our newsletter page to browse past issues.
The 7th annual ALS/MND Nursing Symposium was held October 21 - 23 at the Crown Plaza Avenue Hotel in Chicago. More than 140 participants from throughout the U.S. and Canada were in attendance, representing approximately 25 different ALS Centers.
Thank you to all the attendees, speakers and sponsors for a fantastic 2011 ALS/MND Nursing Symposium.
The Les Turner/Lois Insolia ALS Center is one of 82 sites worldwide participating in the Biogen Idec EMPOWER study, a multi-national Phase III study evaluating the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of dexpramipexole in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The enrollment phase is complete and the trial is in progress. For additional information, visit the National Institutes of Health website, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Questions on these or our other latest happenings? Please contact us and we'll be happy to help! You can also join our email list to receive our monthly e-newsletter. We'll bring all this info--and more--right to your inbox.
Please take a moment to read a letter from Bob Simonds, an ALS patient, and consider donating to our 2012 Annual Appeal. Your gift will support research, patient services, outreach and education for people currently living with ALS and their families.
Give hope today. Thank you for your support.
Tables and individual tickets are now available for purchase for our 25th Annual Hope Through Caring Award Dinner. This year's dinner honors the Family of A. William Haarlow III: Lynne, Laurel and Bill, and Lauren and Blair Haarlow. Please visit our Hope Through Caring Dinner page for more information.
It's not too early to start thinking about Tag Days! We are currently recruiting captains and volunteers for drives held throughout Illinois during May 2012. Please visit our Tag Days page for more information.
Chris Benyo has trained for dozens of marathons, but he is preparing for a challenge unlike any he's undertaken before. Chris will be pushing his wife, Denise, in the New Jersey Marathon in May 2012. Denise was also an avid runner before being diagnosed with ALS in 2010.
They are hoping to raise $26,200--$1,000 for each mile of the marathon. Please consider making a donation in honor of Chris and Denise. Or, you can join them! The Run4ALS team will be at the New Jersey Marathon along with them. What a great opportunity to see the Atlantic Ocean while raising funds for ALS. Register today!
We've got a full slate of races for 2012. In addition to the New Jersey Marathon, you can join us for the Illinois Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half-Marathon, Iron Horse 5K, Strike Out ALS 5K, or other races. Stay tuned as we'll continue to announce more dates and new races. Visit our Run4ALS page for more information or to donate to a runner.
