Gregory W. Fulton ALS & Neuromuscular Disease Center

Support groundbreaking research and clinical trials to give ALS patients a better quality of life.

Donate to ALS Research and Treatment

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease that causes the deterioration and death of motor neurons.

A diagnosis of ALS can be frightening and devastating for patients and their loved ones. As the disease progresses, patients’ muscles begin to weaken and waste away, eventually robbing them of the ability to move, talk, swallow, and even breathe on their own.

You Accelerate the Discovery of New Treatments

As an ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence, physicians and scientists in the Fulton ALS Center collaborate to deliver frontline therapies to patients and advance the next generation of therapies. The following are some of the most recent advancements in treatment your support has made possible.

The Fulton ALS Center played a critical role in clinical trials that led to the FDA approval of the drug Tofersen. This is the first treatment for a genetic form of ALS and one of the few treatments available to slow disease progression.
Barrow physician-scientists utilized de-identified U.S. Medicare data to discover links between existing medications and a lower risk of ALS. In preclinical models, Lovastatin, a drug used to lower cholesterol, showed promise in preserving motor neurons and delaying symptom onset.
The Fulton ALS Center administered the first-ever gene therapy doses to an ALS patient in Barrow’s history. The treatment involves inserting a gene into motor neurons that produces a growth factor, which will hopefully slow disease progression.

You Contribute to Increased Access to ALS Therapies

Although there is no cure for ALS, patients still want to fight the disease in any way they can. This includes participating in clinical research trials. Unfortunately, less than 50% of ALS patients qualify for traditional clinical trials based on rigid participation criteria.

Thanks to the generosity of Autumn and Bobby Henderson, Barrow launched the Henderson-Liebman ALS Expanded Access Program to allow more patients with ALS to participate in trials testing promising new drugs. In its first year, the program provided 20 patients with access to experimental medications that would normally not be available to them through traditional clinical trials.

Your Support, Their Stories

Grateful Barrow patients share how the ALS team helped empower them while fighting the disease.

“Own your life and have fun. I would say that not just for people who have ALS, but for everyone.”

[Name Title]

Doug was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which causes degeneration of the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements.

You Advance Innovative Research

Clinical ALS Biomarkers

The Fulton ALS Center is investigating whether high-resolution cameras can detect very small eye movement changes in patients in the earliest stages of ALS. The team will then track those changes over time to see if they can serve as biomarkers of disease progression.

Predicting Falls in ALS

The Fulton ALS Center is collaborating with Arizona State University researchers to investigate the causes of falls in ALS by conducting a series of sophisticated balance tests. This could help predict which patients are at the highest fall risk so preventative measures can be implemented.

Gene Mutations in ALS

Barrow ALS scientists have developed novel preclinical models of different mutations in the MATR3 gene, which is linked to ALS. So far, they have identified specific mutations that could cause ALS and other mutations that could increase the risk of developing it.

Protein Dysfunction in ALS

Barrow ALS scientists are studying how dysfunction in the TDP-43 protein contributes to ALS. About 97% of ALS patients experience dysfunction in this particular protein, and this study could lead to new treatments for this large population.

Linking Genetics in ALS and FTD

Barrow ALS scientists collaborated with the Translational Genomics Research Institute to confirm the presence of a cryptic exon (a specific error in a genetic sequence) in cells in ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). They are now working to determine if this cryptic exon contributes to degeneration in the frontal cortex of ALS and FTD patients.

Discover More Programs

At Barrow Neurological Foundation, your donation is crucial in supporting three key areas: advanced patient care, curative research, and education for the next generation of neuroscientists. Learn more about how your donation impacts each of the areas we treat.