Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the upper and lower motor neurons leading to death from respiratory failure. About 50% of patients die within 3 years of first symptoms, and 80% within 5 years. The disease typically affects individuals in middle and late life, with a peak age of onset being around 56 years, and it shows a slight male predominance. Although ALS affects one in every 300 people, its dreadful prognosis means that it appears to be a rare disease. To develop effective therapies, it is essential to understand what causes ALS. While a genetic contribution is known to play a role, growing evidence also points to the involvement of inflammation, cholesterol metabolism, and DNA and transcriptome damage. In my talk, I will explain how a combination of genetics, transcriptomics, epigenetics and epidemiology provides a clearer picture of the causes and modifiers of ALS, which helps us develop new approaches to treatment.
The quantum way of doing computations, simulations and measurements
Prof. Dr. Rainer Blatt, University of Innsbruck, Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, and Alpine Quantum Technologies (AQT) GmbH, Innsbruck, Austria
