Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a complex syndrome that needs an integrated research approach

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons, lacks an effective treatment. A small fraction of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases have a familial origin, related to mutations in causative genes, while the vast majority of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases are considered to be sporadic, resulting from the interaction between genes and environmental factors in predisposed individuals. During the past few years, dozens of drugs have been postulated as promising strategies for the disease after showing some beneficial effects in preclinical cellular and murine models. However, the translation into clinical practice has been largely unsuccessful and the compounds failed when were tested in clinical trials. This might be explained, at least partially, by the enormous complexity of the disease both from clinico-epidemiological and a pathogenic points of view. In this review, we will briefly comment on the complexity of the disease focusing on some recent findings, and we will suggest how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research might be reoriented to foster the advance in the diagnostic and therapeutic questions.

Prognosis and follow-up of 135 patients with ischemic colitis over a five-year period

AIM:To study the prognosis(recurrence and mortality)of patients with ischemic colitis(IC).METHODS:This study was conducted in four Spanish hospitals,participants in the Ischemic Colitis in Spain study We analyzed prospectively 135 consecutive patients who met criteria for definitive or probable IC according to Brandt criteria,and follow up these patients during the next five years,retrospectively.Long-term results(recurrence and mortality)were evaluated retrospectively after a median interval of 62 mo(range54-75 mo).RESULTS:Estimated IC recurrence rates were 2.9%,5.1%,8.1%and 9.7%at years 1,2,3 and 5 years,respectively.Five-year survival was 69%(93 of 135)and 24%(10 of 42 patients)died for causes related to the IC.Among these 10 patients,8 died in their first episode at hospital(4 had gangrenous colitis and 4 fulminant colitis)and 2 due to recurrence.CONCLUSION:The five-year recurrence rate of IC was low.On the other hand,mortality during follow-up was high and was not associated with ischemic colitis.