https://archive.md/tNJvH
"In the summer of 2014, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge quite literally drenched
the internet, quickly becoming what is now considered the largest social media
movement in medical history.
Seventeen million people uploaded videos of themselves to Facebook dumping
buckets of ice water over their heads and challenging friends, family, and even
celebrities to do the same. The viral sensation raised $115 million in just six
weeks, and boosted critical awareness for a fatal disease that has few
treatments and no cure—not yet at least. As the effects of the Ice Bucket
Challenge continue to ripple, hope is on the horizon for ALS patients and their
families.
“The Ice Bucket Challenge was incredible and unprecedented for any disease
charity,” says Neil Thakur, chief mission officer of the ALS Association
(ALSA). “When you have more money to invest, you have more chances for things
to work—and that's what we're seeing now.”
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a disease that degrades nerve cells
in the brain and spinal cord over time, leading to loss of muscle control and
and, ultimately, inability to talk, move, eat, and breathe. Also known as Lou
Gehrig’s disease, ALS affects more than 31,000 people in the United States,
estimates show; most live only two to five years after symptoms develop.
The Ice Bucket Challenge “dramatically accelerated the fight” against the
disease, according to ALSA. It funded the work that led to the discovery of
five new genes associated with ALS and novel drug therapies.
In the last year alone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two new
treatments for ALS, both developed with funds from the challenge. Today,
researchers are considered closer than ever to making ALS a livable, and
eventually, curable disease."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-malaria-belize-crime-mexico-city-bison-montana/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
