Image: Mattias Pettersson
Image: Mattias Pettersson
Research group Our research centers on the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
We study the causes behind amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that manifests through the damage and death of the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles, leading to muscle wasting and paralysis in the patient.
Our main focus is the study of a protein known as superoxide dismutase (SOD1), that when misfolded leads to protein aggregates in motor neurons. We have shown that SOD1 aggregates spread from cell to cell to give their damaging effects.
Our aim is to find ways of stopping the spread of the damaging protein and thereby impede disease progression.
Blood tests may enable more accurate diagnosis of ALS at an earlier stage of the disease, according to study.
