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 small group of elusive neurons in the brain’s cortex play a big role in ALS, but the neurons have always been difficult to study because there are so few of them and they look so similar to other neurons in the cortex. In a new preclinical study, Dr. P. Hande Ozdinler, Foundation researcher and Northwestern Medicine® scientist, has isolated the motor neurons in the brain that die in ALS and, for the first time, dressed them in a green fluorescent jacket. Now they’re impossible to miss and easy to study.
Please visit the Feinberg School of Medicine website or the Journal of Neuroscience website to read more. If you missed the airing, you can still catch the WGN News special segment on this breakthrough. Your support for research has made this possible. Thank you!
On June 18, the ALS Association will be hosting a one-hour webinar on genetic research in ALS. The webinar will take place at 1:00pm CDT. Participation is free but you must register before the start of the webinar.
The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs ALS Research Program gives grants to scientific investigators working on therapeutic development for ALS. Jim Humay was recently featured by the CDMRP for his work in the program. Our thanks to Jim for serving as an advocate for ALS patients and families everywhere!
A stem cell trial approved by the FDA has shown positive results in the Phase 1 portion. The trial now moves to a Phase 2 portion, in which 15 additional patients will receive the stem cell treatments. Please see this Bioscience Technology article for more information.
Registration is now open for our 2013 ALS/MND Nursing Symposium. This workshop, held November 7-10, is designed for new and experienced nurses, clinic coordinators and other allied health professionals working with People with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (PALS). Please visit our For Professionals page to download a flier and registration form.
Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Strike Out ALS 5K. Held on Tuesday, July 16, this chip-timed race features a finish on the warning track of U.S. Cellular Field. We are excited to announce that Lin Brehmer of WXRT will be emceeing this year's race! Stay afterward for a meet-and-greet with Lin during our post-race All-Star Party. Concessions will open, and the MLB all-star game will be shown on the jumbotron. Visit our Run4ALS page for information on all our upcoming races. Questions? Contact Kim at (847) 679-3311 or kmciver@lesturnerals.org. 
The date for the 2013 ALS Walk4Life has been changed to Sunday, September 22. This new date is one day later than previously communicated. Please help us spread the word! Visit our ALS Walk4Life page to read more about this important change.
Help raise funds to fight ALS while supporting others right in your community. The warmer weather makes this the perfect time to attend or host a Family and Community Event. We've got charity baseball games, art shows, cocktail hours and more! Visit our Family and Community Events page to learn more about our upcoming events or how to host your own event.
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.