IIT Hyderabad researchers find new molecule to potentially

: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad on Wednesday said its researchers have found a molecule 'AIM4' that shows promise in the treatment of a rare and debilitating neurodegenerative disease called 'Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis' (ALS).

ALS, also known as 'Lou Gehrig's disease' is a neurodegenerative disorder that severely affects voluntary movement of muscles and can lead to paralysis and death.

It occurs due to changes in specific genes, which may be triggered by factors such as smoking, exposure to toxins, metals and pesticides, a release fromIITHyderabad said.

The results of this research, performed by a team led by faculty from the Department of Biotechnology, and Department of Chemistry, IIT Hyderabad, has recently been published in the peer-reviewedInternational Journal of Biological Macromolecules, it said.

According to the release, there are no drugs available at present to cure ALS and treatment options are limited to two drugs only for management of the condition.

Elaborating on this research, Associate Professor Basant Kumar Patel said,"One of the causes of ALS is the alterations in the genes that code for a critical protein called TDP-43."