BRUSSELS – A team of Belgian and British researchers have made a major breakthrough in efforts to fight the fatal neurological condition motor neurone disease, it was reported on Thursday.

The scientific journal Nature reported that the reserchers have developed a therapy that slows the onset of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

In tests on mice the researchers, from UK biopharmaceutical firm Oxford BioMedica and the Flemish Centre for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, found that the therapy could also extend life expetancy for ALS victims by 30 percent.

ALS and other forms of MND progressively destoy cells called motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord.

There is no known cure and the disease usually leads to death within five years.

The researchers stressed in Thursday’s Nature article that while their breakthrough was significant it would be unlikely to lead to the creation of any new ALS therapies for humans for at least ten years.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news