FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2003
Contact: Rebecca Watson; Public Relations Assistant
(732) 632-1586
NEW JERSEY NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE SCIENTIST AWARDED $35,000 GRANT
Edison, NJ: Ronald B. Langdon, Ph.D., a scientist at the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Medical Center in Edison, NJ, and Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Seton Hall University, was recently awarded a starter grant of $35,000 to study amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The award is one of 11 research grants provided by the ALS Association (ALSA), representing a total research commitment from the organization of $1,199,027. The grant will begin in February 2003.
ALS is a motor neuron disease that strikes people in their prime. It is characterized by muscle weakness that progresses to full paralysis while the brain remains active and intact. Patients usually die within five years.
First identified in 1869, the disease gained international attention back in 1939 when professional baseball player Lou Gehrig was forced to retire from the sport due to this disease. Only 35 at the time, he succumbed to his illness two years later.
Says Dr. Langdon, “While most people are familiar with the names ALS and Lou Gehrig’s Disease, most are surprised to find out that it is not in fact a rare disease. One in 800 people will get it in their lifetime. The frequency of its occurrence, its severely debilitating nature, and the fact that a cure remains to be found prompt the need for continued research on the cause of the disease.”
“There is a leading theory that the cells die in ALS because of too much glutamate (the neurotransmitter
that excites all neurons),” notes Langdon. His study will help to identify
whether excess glutamate is indeed involved in ALS. Langdon will measure
the presence of glutamate surrounding neurons in the brains of SOD1 mutant
mice. These are genetically modified mice that develop the disease because
they carry a gene found in human families in which ALS is inherited. It
is not yet known why having this gene causes ALS in humans and in these
mice. The $35,000 grant will be used to fund a staff research position
for study that addresses this question.
NJNI is a comprehensive facility designed exclusively for the diagnosis,
treatment, and research of complex neurological disorders in adults and
children. For more information on the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute,
call 732-321-7950 or visit the facility online at www.njneuro.org
. For more information on ALS and the ALS Association, visit www.alsa.org.