Sclerosis

Dr. Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis while at Oxford.

The goal of the Ice Bucket Challenge was to raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Tom suffers from multiple sclerosis.

Tom has multiple sclerosis.

Researchers have developed what’s being hailed as a “breakthrough” in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a crippling autoimmune disease that attacks the outer sheath of nerve cells, eventually disabling many of those with the neurological condition.

Pena, 32, has suffered from tubular sclerosis since childhood and breathes with the aid of an oxygen machine.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, is a rare but devastating neuromuscular condition with no known cure which is nearly always fatal.

The investigators have also amassed evidence that the fasting-mimicking diet reduces the risk of age-related diseases, including heart disease and cancer. It may also hold benefits for people with multiple sclerosis, said researchers.

More than two million people around the world have multiple sclerosis, a chronic, often-disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. Usually striking young adults, MS is more common in women than in men.

Of course, the long-term goal of a study like this is the possibility of treating human disease. Goldman says he is optimistic that in the future this type of treatment might be helpful in treating a variety of myelin-related diseases, such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.