Scientists at the University of Alberta (Canada) have found a drug that significantly slows down the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, which the British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking suffered from. Existing methods stop the progression of this neurodegenerative disease by only a few months. This was reported in a press release on the university website.
The drug, called telbivudine, acts on the SOD1 enzyme, which malfunctions in 20 percent of people with hereditary amyotrophic sclerosis. SOD1, or superoxide dismutase-1, is involved in the detoxification of one of the reactive oxygen species - superoxide anions. The defective enzyme has toxic properties, damaging motor neurons.
Telbivudine is already being used as an antiviral against hepatitis B. The drug has proven to be safe for patients and is more than likely to be approved for new clinical uses.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an incurable neurodegenerative disease in which the nerve cells of the motor cortex of the brain and motor neurons are damaged. The result is paralysis and muscle atrophy. Patients die from a respiratory tract infection or cessation of the functioning of the respiratory muscles.