COPYRIGHT 2004 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
XINHUA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
May 27, 2004, Thursday
SECTION: WORLD NEWS; POLITICAL
LENGTH: 278 words
HEADLINE: Belgian scientists make progress in fight against ALS
DATELINE: BRUSSELS, May 27

Belgian Flemish scientists have discovered that gene therapy can slow down the process of the incurable disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS ), local radio RIV reported on Thursday.

ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, fatal neurological disease.

The disease occurs when specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement gradually degenerate. The loss of these motor neurons causes the muscles under their control to weaken and waste away, leading to paralysis.

The world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking is an ALS patient.

The Flemish scientists have discovered a protein that can increase life expectancy by one third in ALS patients, and they published their findings in the prestigious international journal Nature, the radio reported.

According to Dr. Peter Karmeliet of the Flemish Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, the gene which codes the protein in question can be injected into muscles, thus blocking the further degeneration.

The procedure has been tested on animals with success. Normally speaking it could be used on people within 10-15 years.