2024 ALS Organoid Program Information

Overview:

Organoids are a powerful new and compelling technology for studying disease biology. Several different and complementary organoid models currently exist with relevance to ALS, but none of these models has been tested across multiple ALS iPSC lines, and all have been created using different lines/genetic backgrounds making comparisons between/among them challenging.   The reagents and assays used to assess ALS phenotypes have likewise varied. This variability and limited scale make it challenging to interpret results and to establish methodologic robustness.

ALS Finding a Cure recently issued a grant call for proposals with the following goals:

  1. To enable direct comparison of results of multiple organoid methods by providing the same starting materials (iPSC lines) and reagents (antibodies) at scale
  2. To identify methods that generate organoids showing key ALS phenotypes
  3. To develop robust and reproducible methods that could be used for drug screening
  4. To foster collaboration and sharing across organoid model developers to identify best practices, commonalities, and differences across methods

ALSFAC received 13 proposals from 5 countries (US, UK, Hungary, Germany, Canada). Proposals were reviewed by an international review committee compromised of members from academia, industry, and the non-profit sector, and 5 proposals were deemed worthy of funding (3 US and 2 international).

The projects include:

  1. Longitudinal characterization of reproducible ALS phenotypes in iPSC-derive sensorimotor organoids (University of Alabama, Birmingham)
  2. Benchmarking region-specific organoids and cortico-motor assembloids to study ALS (Emory University)
  3. Probing consistent and reproducible pathophysiological phenotypes in the novel forebrain-spinal circuitoid models derived from ALS patients (Drexel University and UMass)
  4. Characterization of the human ALS motor neuraxis organoid system for disease-modeling (University of Cambridge, UK)
  5. A novel human cortico-spinal assembloid model of ALS/FTD (HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary)

ALS Finding a Cure has now partnered with Hop On A Cure to award $1.5M in grant funding for these 2-year awards designed to advance the application of organoid technology for use in ALS translational research and development.

For further information please contact: info@aslfac.org

 

About ALS Finding a Cure®

ALS Finding a Cure® (ALSFAC), is focused on identifying gaps in the scientific understanding of ALS that are preventing the development of a cure. The organization, a program of The Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation, collaborates with numerous companies, ALS organizations, and pALS (people with ALS) and their families to ensure research efforts are non-duplicative, synergistic, and focused on the ultimate goal: finding a cure.

About Hop On A Cure

Hop On A Cure started in 2022 after John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band was diagnosed with ALS. ALS is consistently one of the most underfunded diseases for research. Because of that, not much significant progress has been made since Lou Gehrig passed away from the disease in 1941. The mission of the foundation is to support research to prevent, reverse, and cure ALS while raising awareness, building a compassionate community, and unleashing the healing power of hope. For more information about Hop On A Cure visit www.hoponacure.org.