ST. LOUIS, MO (KPLR) –  Dr. Timothy Miller is director of the Christopher Wells Hobler Lab for ALS research at the Hope center for neurological disorders at Washington University.  The outcome of phase one research of a novel way to turn off harmful genes in the brain and spinal cord as a way to stop ALS.   

“We can do go in a technique called antisense oligo nucleotides and  take that small mistake in those RNA instructions and like a small eraser and go in an erase that mistake and fix it.” said Dr. Timothy Miller.

Washington University made history this year by conducting the first ever human trials.  The first phase focused on whether the drug  called antisense oligo nucleotide  was safe.

The research focused on patients with a genetic form of ALS which makes up about ten percent of all ALS patients. About 90 percent have a sporadic form of the disease.

Dr. Miller began his work because he saw ALS patients desperate for a way halt progression of the disease.

You have a chance to support ALS research this weekend.   Dan Gray will be emceeing an ALS fundraiser Sunday at 5 pm at the Gandhi Center, 717 Weidmann road in Ballwin.  It will be an evening of dinner, entertainment and auction items.

Dr. Miller from Washington University will be speaking at the event.  He hopes to move into phase two research next year.