Irvine, California - The rare neurological condition commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease - which normally kills its victims within five years - may be brought on by a virus, researchers said on Monday.
Scientists at the University of California at Irvine found evidence of a virus in motor nerve cells in the spinal cord in 15 of 17 subjects diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to findings published in the January issue of Neurology.
The virus, similar to an agent known to cause viral meningitis and rare cases of encephalitis, was found in only one of 29 people who died of other causes, the team led by Martina Berger found.
"Many researchers have suspected a viral link to (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)," said Berger, who worked on the study in France before coming to Irvine.
The team worked at both the university's College of Medicine and at Rockefeller University in Lyon, France.
"But in this study, we were able to identify a virus known for nerve damage in the exact areas of the nervous system that are affected by the disease," Berger said.
"We think this knowledge will help us finally uncover what causes the disease and may some day lead us to developing a treatment."
The disease was discovered in 1869 but became known as Lou Gehrig's disease, named after the legendary American baseball player who died from it in 1941.
The disorder affects the motor nerves in the spinal cord and brain, gradually weakening muscles in the body and eventually leading to paralysis.
Nearly all victims die from respiratory paralysis, usually about five years after diagnosis. About 4 600 people are diagnosed with the disease every year in the United States, Berger said.
She is continuing her research to determine whether the virus can be confirmed as the cause of the disease or a byproduct of a still-hidden cause. - Sapa-AFP