Target ALS
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Today, there is no definitive test to diagnose ALS.
No X-ray. No MRI. Diagnosis relies entirely on a process of elimination that can stretch over twelve months or more, while the disease continues to progress.
Dr. La Spada and his consortium are developing a blood-based biomarker that could fundamentally change that, and the potential applications are significant. Earlier and more accurate diagnosis. A tool for distinguishing fast progressors from slow. A way to track whether treatments are working in clinical trials.
All from a blood draw.
Read more about this consortium’s work and the full biomarker section in the 2026 Annual Meeting Impact Report: https://ow.ly/AxvA50Zllj9
07/02/2026
ALS is a disease of the motor neurons.
However, emerging research from Target ALS-funded scientists reveals that it’s not that simple; there’s a complex breakdown involving the immune system, support cells, blood vessels, and even how genes are chemically regulated.
These findings collectively signal a meaningful shift in how the field understands ALS: once believed to be a bystander, the immune system may play an active role in neurodegeneration.
Read more: https://ow.ly/IbkQ50ZjoBm
Target ALS VP of Scientific Programs Amy Easton reflected on one of the Annual Meeting’s most exciting moments: promising interim results from QurAlis’s Phase 1/2 clinical trial.
The therapy traces its roots back to the funding Target ALS provided when the researchers behind it were just postdocs with an idea. Watching that early investment mature into a treatment that shows real benefit for people living with ALS is exactly why we fund bold science in the early, critical stages.
The energy and connection among meeting attendees were a reminder of what becomes possible when the brightest minds work together toward a shared goal: building a world where Everyone with ALS Lives.
Explore more from the 2026 Annual Meeting: https://ow.ly/Qz6Z50ZjnbH
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