![Turning a key in a lock, one of many simple tasks someone with ALS has difficulty with. [Photo: "Under lock and key" by Janet Ramsden (Unedited). License: CC BY 2.0]](http://www.curiousyoungwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/keys.jpg)
Turning a key in a lock, one of many simple tasks someone with ALS has difficulty with.
[Photo: “Under lock and key” by Janet Ramsden (Unedited). License: CC BY 2.0]
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons.
- Symptoms: increasing weakness in one limb, difficulty walking, clumsiness of the hands, light twitching, impaired speech, and difficulty swallowing, eventual paralysis.
- Scientists studying fruit flies have discovered how genetic mutations disrupt functions in neurons and lead to neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS.
- The use of the fruit fly is still in early stages, but this model has potential to aid in the discovery of treatments or even a cure for those with ALS.
The little girls adored their father. One day, during an intense game of “monkey in the middle,” they noticed something was very different about the way Daddy played. He was slower and weaker in his arms; just tossing the ball seemed to take every bit of strength he had. Eventually, the doctor diagnosed their strong and active daddy with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, which affects people between the ages of 40 and 75, and is more common in men than in women. (“Diseases and Conditions. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” 2014).
In patients with ALS these motor neurons die, causing loss of muscle control. [Image: “Relation between sensory, relay, & motor neurons” by Ruth Lawson (Unedited). License: CC BY 3.0]
The tiny Drosophila melanogaster, more commonly known as the fruit fly, could hold the answers to many of the mysteries surrounding ALS (“ALS Facts and Statistics,” 2014). Scientists are currently studying genes that are believed to play a role in the disease in hopes that they can develop targeted gene therapies. This research is being performed on fruit flies, an organism that has proven to be valuable in finding genes and molecular pathways integral in several neurological diseases (“ALS Facts and Statistics”, 2013). One study in fruit flies revealed a method of reducing the toxicity associated with a key ALS protein, a strategy to slow the loss of neuron function. Also studying the fruit fly, scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered new ways that genetic mutations can disrupt functions in neurons and lead to neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2013). According to Nancy Bonini, a biology professor in the School of Arts & Sciences, “These model systems are very fast and simpler than mammalian models. They allow us to focus on conserved pathways, and can be remarkably powerful for giving us insight into pathways involved in disease” (“ALS Facts and Statistics”, 2013).
This article was written by cYw19. As always, before leaving a response to this article please view our Rules of Conduct. Thanks! -cYw Editorial Staff
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March 7, 2015
This was a fascinating read, and was a nice introduction to ALS. I think that genetic engineering is a very promising field, and I enjoyed learning about a specific application of this field to help understand ALS.
March 17, 2015
What an interesting topic! Many animals have been used to discover various cures for diseases but this is the first time I’ve heard about them being used for neurodegenerative diseases.
March 21, 2015
I just want to thank you for doing this post. My grandmother had ALS. Since I was very young when she contracted the disease I never had a chance to get to know her very well. I am very excited for this new research into a disease, and I hope that a cure will be developed very soon!
March 23, 2015
This was a very well written post, as well as a fascinating topic. I have heard of other model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, but your article helped me understand the purpose of model organisms, and that Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, could lead to innovations and discoveries in diseases such as ALS. Thank you!
January 19, 2016
This article was a great aid in helping me learn about ALS and what they are doing to cure it in a short simple way. This showed me that huge steps toward solving the disease are being made by scientists through the use of a little bug. It’s fascinating and really broadens the ideas through that one could do so many things with such a small animal. I was wondering how they are able to give the fruit flies the disease? Would it be the same disease or would it be a little different.
January 20, 2016
A great and efficient article that shows us how ALS can damage the people’s daily lives through simple activities such as just playing a game. It allowed us to see that ALS had made the people to lose the flexibility, such as it’s difficult for them to walk, to chew, and many other simple activities relating with the muscles. And your demonstration of the strategies that scientists are using for solving ALS clearly reflected some of the potential causes of ALS. You had explained that the fruit flies were the very suitable experimenting materials, whereas they had the very simple genetic structure that are much easier than the human’s. Also, your diagram had showed us how the integrated materials, or drugs had influenced the fruit flies and made them have the symptoms of ALS.
January 19, 2016
This was a very interesting post! It’s surprising to hear how little scientists actually know about ALS, however it is comforting to hear that we are expanding our knowledge on this disease. The topic of genetic mutation is very interesting-as well as important. I would be very interested in finding out exactly how the scientists working on this trial were able to genetically engineer a fly that mimicked a human with ALS. This disease is very deadly and affects many, but it is relieving to know that new breakthroughs are occurring every day in the biomedical field.
January 20, 2016
The article really helped me fully understand ALS. Before looking at this article and examining it, I knew nothing about ALS and what it even was. After reading this article, I know symptoms of ALS, what ALS stands for, and how fruit flies help the cause for ALS. Fruit flies are an example of how animals can help in bio medical research on diseases and disorders. It’s truly amazing how such a little organism can affect a disease in a positive way.