The ALS Association Awards Illinois Researchers Nearly $1 Million From Worldwide Grants

CHICAGO - Aug. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- As The ALS Association nears the first anniversary of the highly successful Ice Bucket Challenge, they continue to pour monies raised into research that could lead to treatments and a cure for ALS.  Out of the $11.6 million second phase of funding being allocated worldwide, nearly 10 percent of the international grants has been awarded to Illinois researchers.

“This is a phenomenal dollar figure. This is an enormous coup and feather in the cap of all Illinois ALS researchers who are doing absolutely outstanding work in their quest for a cure,” says Maryilene Blondell, Director of Development for The ALS Association Greater Chicago Chapter.

Dr. Kourosh Rezania, one of the leading ALS specialists at The University of Chicago ALS Multi-Disciplinary Clinic Certified Treatment Center of Excellence, was awarded $240,000 for his study of intermuscular coherence as a bio-marker.  “This study test for ALS is quick and painless.  The grant money is very important because now we are able to extend the study to the next phase in hopes to validate it as an ALS biomarker and to determine whether or not it is a good diagnostic test in earlier stages of ALS,” says Dr. Rezania.

Additional awardees and awards include:

Jun Sun, PhD from Rush University, the site of the ALS 5^th Annual Educational and Scientific Symposium on October 21, was awarded $80,000 to explore the micro biota to alleviate ALS progression.

Keith Gagnon, PhD, Southern Illinois School of Medicine in Springfield, $40,000 to develop flexible and accessible cell based models of c9FTD/ALS.

Northwestern Memorial University researchers were awarded remaining monies.

Every 90 seconds someone is diagnosed with ALS. Every 90 minutes someone loses their battle. ALS, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is an incurable disease that attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. It robs individuals of the ability to walk, talk and eventually breathe. It is always fatal. For unknown reasons, military veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population. There is no cure and one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration modestly extends survival.

The second annual Ice Bucket Challenge begins July 31^st. It is critically important to raise awareness about and financial support for the continued care and advancements made in finding a treatment and cure for ALS. Funds support research, public policy, care services and programs.

The Greater Chicago Chapter is proud to currently serve 71 counties across the Chicagoland area, Northern and Central Illinois, and parts of Northwest Indiana. The ALS Association Greater Chicago Chapter has donated more than 8 million dollars to local, national, and international research projects since the Chapter was founded in 2004.  Visit http://webchicago.alsa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=CHI_homepage for more information.