Since amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is taking social media by storm via the ice bucket challenge, Expert Opinion analysed future therapeutic options for the management and treatment of this neurodegenerative disease.
Free radicals are prominent in the pathogenesis of ALS, through damage to neurons and the oxidative stress they cause. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery recently published a paper on the discovery and development of new potential antioxidant agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Such agents would neutralise free radicals to prevent oxidative stress. The authors discuss the limitations of currently studied antioxidants and look forward to further research needed to develop safe and effective agents for the future.
Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs reviewed the development of treatments for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis via intracerebroventricular or intrathecal delivery . A limitation of current therapy development is the difficulty of targeting drugs to the brain. This paper explores the feasibility of drug delivery directly into the brain ventricles or subarachnoid space, in order to bypass the blood-brain barrier.
The journal has also recently planned, ongoing and recently concluded experimental trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, studied including the evolution of stem cell studies. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy also covers new therapy options for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, where genetic influences of the disease are considered.
Finally, a free publishing review in Expert Opinion on Orphan Drugs discusses new drug targets in ALS. The authors recommend combining structure-determined drug design with disease-relevant phenotypic screening to identify new targets.