Anyone who has social media has probably heard of the ice bucket challenge. Many of you might have participated in this whacky challenge. But who actually knows how this got started? Do you know what the challenge is raising awareness for?
The ice bucket challenge was designed to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). If someone was nominated for this challenge they were supposed to dump a bucket of freezing water over their head, or they could make a donation instead. The goal was to raise awareness and money for further research on this disease.
ALS is a debilitating disease that will destroy the motor neurons, which will lead to complete loss of muscle control in later stages. Eventually, this disease will be fatal for those who have it. The money from this challenge has helped to try and find a way to stop the onset and progression of ALS.
The Neurochemistry
ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects a person’s ability to control muscle movement. Neurons throughout the body are controlled by the brain, and tell the rest of the body when to move. When these motor neurons are destroyed the person will lose all ability to control the muscles in their body, which will lead to death.
Research in the Journal of Neuroscience Letters, by Bozzo and colleagues, details some of the problems that can lead to ALS. The two main factors discussed throughout this article were mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress.
There is a RNA binding protein, called TDP43, that is largely affected by oxidative stress. This protein will form protein aggregates within cells under oxidative stress. These aggregates cannot be broken down if the mitochondria are not functioning properly. These aggregates hinder the cells ability to function normally.
The neurochemistry behind ALS is very complex, and it is still being studied. There are numerous connections that still need to be made to establish a concrete pathway that could cause this disease. In science, there is never an easy explanation to the pathology of a disease.
New discoveries
There are familial and sporadic cases of ALS. Familial cases are inherited genes that are associated with ALS. Sporadic cases are characterized by random mutations, and it can affect anyone.
According to the ALS association, the money that was raised from the ice bucket challenge helped scientists identify a new gene associated with the disease. The NEK1 gene was identified, and found to be one of the most common genetic components associated with ALS.
This gene was identified by almost 100 scientists that are part of Project MinE. Project MinE is doing genetic testing with thousands of individuals with ALS across the world. They are comparing these genomes to those of healthy individuals to identify genes associated with ALS.
The ice bucket challenge raised so much money that the ALS association was able to contribute one million dollars to Project MinE. This monetary contribution was a big reason that this new gene was identified.
New finding are important because they can be targeted for new drugs. There is currently no cure for this disease. There are only medications to slow down the progression of ALS. Developing new drugs to help people who suffer from this disease is a top priority for many researchers today.
The Science Behind the Ice Bucket Challenge
