Study finds genetic variant among people who experience a rare recovery from ALS

Though exceedingly rare, some people diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) partially or fully recover from the lethal neurodegenerative disease. A better understanding of this baffling phenomenon, reported in medical literature for at least 60 years, could point to potential new treatment approaches. To that end, researchers launched a study of ALS recovery patients and found certain genetic factors that appear to protect against the disease's typical assault on motor neurons.