“A Cure for ALS” is the research fund of the ALS League, Belgium. Donations to the fund are spent entirely on scientific research, without any deduction of administrative costs. At any given time several research projects are being promoted jointly by the ALS League. Donations are collected in a centralized fund; priorities for funding are allocated autonomously by the ALS League. Operations are targeted and transparent: intentions, objectives, costs and specific expectations are detailed for each individual project on the website of the ALS League.
In the Belgian research landscape Prof. dr. Van Damme and Prof. dr. Van Den Bosch, among others, have for many years been specializing in ALS research at the KU Leuven / VIB. On the one hand, they focus on stem cell research, by which from the body cells of ALS patients, human stem cells including motor neurons are generated and studied. On the other hand mechanisms that lead to the loss of motor neurons are being unraveled and factors that affect the disease process are being mapped by means of the insertion of defect human ALS genetic material in the fruit fly as an animal model.
"The ALS League is proud of the Belgian researchers and the progress they make. That's why we have chosen to support them through donations to the ALS Association," says Evy Reviers, CEO. "For many years, we enjoy a fruitful collaboration with the University of Leuven and we like supporting a breakthrough."
It goes without saying that the ALS Ligue confirms its continued commitment to financially support international consortia active in ALS research with relevance for Belgian ALS patients in the future.
The ALS League has over the years financially completed several research proposals. These research projects are currently in development. Stay informed on "A Cure for ALS" on this page, more projects will follow. You will find here more information on the already on-going studies. Interested in supporting new research yourself, this is possible: DONATE
Completed
● A new neuroprotective treatment: PHD1?
● The Zebrafish as a model system to examine the genetic causes and risk factors of ALS
● Electrophysiological characterisation of human motor neurones derived from induced pluripotent stem cells for the study of ALS
● Investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms of FTLD/ALS hexanucleotide repetitions induced C9orf72 in the fruit fly.
● C9orf72 GGGGCC repeat expansion mutations in ALS: an international gene expression study.
● Elucidation of the physiological and pathophysiological role of the interaction between the N-terminal low complexity domain and the C-terminal of FUS.
● Belgian branch MinE project: genetic research into the cause of ALS
● The zebrafish as a model for C9orf72 related ALS
● Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in the fight against ALS
● The fruit fly as a model in the search for new therapeutic strategies for ALS
● …
