ALS NETWORK PARTNERS WITH TARGET ALS TO ACCELERATE GLOBAL ALS RESEARCH EFFORTS

Research seeks to advance discovery and development of treatments for ALS

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The ALS Network, formerly ALS Golden West, has partnered with Target ALS to advance research through its global research program, breaking down barriers that have long slowed progress and accelerating the search for effective treatments for people living with the disease.

"The Target ALS and ALS Network missions complement one another," Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, president and CEO of the ALS Network said. "This alignment allows for meaningful collaboration to advance ALS drug discovery and development programs."

Target ALS is exploring bold new directions in ALS research through a dynamic portfolio of funded projects.  Priorities center on accelerating the discovery of biomarkers that can transform how ALS is diagnosed and treated and on cultivating the next generation of ALS leaders by investing in early-career scientists and clinicians. Through collaborative research consortia and targeted grant programs, the organization is fueling breakthroughs while expanding and diversifying the global community of ALS researchers. The ALS Network is joining Target ALS in these efforts, supporting pioneering projects at leading institutions around the world, including:

• Translating novel ALS and FTD fluid biomarkers of TDP-43 pathology towards the clinic
• Liquid Biopsy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using Epigenetic Signatures from Plasma Cell-Free DNA
• Understanding the relevance of TDP-43-induced cryptic exon expression for synaptic dysfunction in ALS
• KCNQ2 Biomarker for Precision Medicine in ALS
• Transposable element in neuron derived extracellular vesicles: patient selection and treatment response biomarker
• Theranostic potential of profiling CD8+ T-cells in peripheral tissues of people with pre-symptomatic sporadic ALS
• Identifying Upper Motor Neuron Pathology and Molecular Signatures in the ALS Motor Cortex
• Revealing neuroprotective and neurotoxic T cell responses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• RNA-directed therapy for C9orf72-linked ALS using zinc finger nucleases

"Collaboration accelerates innovation and together with the ALS Network, we are proud to support these projects," said Manish Raisinghani, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., CEO of Target ALS. "At Target ALS, we fuel the best ideas in ALS research worldwide by providing support through funding and access to critical resources to accelerate the discovery of treatments that will change the trajectory of ALS."

Target ALS advances ALS research through their innovative and holistic approach to research. The organization funds cutting-edge projects from the global scientific community that are rigorously selected by their Independent Review Committee (IRC), enables discovery through no-strings-attached access to critical tools and resources, and conducts comprehensive clinical studies to answer longstanding questions about ALS and how to solve it.

The ALS Network's multifaceted research program and partnering scientists seek to yield significant results in a disease category historically void of positive outcomes. The ALS Network's Scientific Advisory Committee, composed of leading researchers, scientists, and healthcare industry leaders, along with the organization's Community Research Committee composed of laypeople who have experienced ALS firsthand, review and select the most promising projects and moonshot efforts for funding.

"Our research model is a dynamic venture fueled by an ever-increasing sense of urgency," said Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, president and CEO of the ALS Network. "We seek to move promising science forward quickly with a relentless focus on improving and saving lives. Together, with Target ALS and our dedicated partners, we will continue to invest in transformative ideas that will redirect the course of ALS and other motor neuron diseases."

About the ALS Network
The ALS Network partners with the ALS community to drive the discovery of prevention strategies, treatments, and cures for ALS; provide access to quality care and connection; and promote initiatives to improve health outcomes. The ALS Network, formerly ALS Golden West, serves people with ALS and their families throughout California, Hawaii, and beyond. For more information about ALS and the ALS Network visit our website at alsnetwork.org or email us at [email protected]. You can also find us on social media at @yourALSnetwork.

About Target ALS
Target ALS is a medical research foundation breaking down barriers to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research to find effective treatments. Since 2013, Target ALS has revolutionized ALS research through its Innovation Ecosystem. By democratizing research through an unbiased review process, providing access to cutting-edge research tools, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration, and galvanizing industry involvement, Target ALS accelerates the most promising ideas in scientific research into drug development programs. Driven by impatient optimism, deliberate disruption, and radical collaboration, Target ALS aims to transform ALS into a manageable disease, building a world where Everyone Lives. Learn more at https://www.targetals.org/.

ALS Network contact:
Vanessa Martin
[email protected]

Target ALS contact:
Stephanie Ishoo
[email protected].

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/als-network-partners-with-target-als-to-accelerate-global-als-research-efforts-302535356.html

SOURCE ALS Network