Can proper recycling cure ALS?

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About the research

Roughly every 5 minutes someone on this planet dies of ALS, and the sad truth is that we still do not have an effective treatment to cure this disease. The problem lies in the fact that we do not fully understand what causes ALS in the first place. In his doctorate, Jimmy Beckers (VIB - KU Leuven - FWO) is trying to solve a piece of the puzzle. He is investigating whether a malfunction in our internal cellular recycling system might be linked to ALS.

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Jimmy Beckers
KU Leuven - VIB

Fascinated by sports and the human body, Jimmy Beckers decided to study those who are no longer able to perform their beloved hobby: patients suffering from a neurodegenerative disease. Upon obtaining his master's degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology, he started a Ph.D. in the lab of neurobiology at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research. In his project, he is studying how potential dysfunction of the cellular recycling system called autophagy can be involved in the pathogenesis of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. By doing so, he hopes to unravel new strategies that could help to combat this devastating disease.

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