A discovery at Johns Hopkins University may be life-saving for people who may be at risk of developing Lou Gerrig’s Disease, or ALS.

ALS is now linked to a type of dementia.

“Until recently, the two are considerably separate diseases,” neurologist Philip Wong said.

Researchers know that a protein in the brain called TDO43 becomes corrupted in ALS and Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD.

“Then they can't produce a normal protein, and therefore your cell lacks all these essential protein for the survival of the neuron,” Wong said.

Neuroscientist Katie Irwin developed the blood test that identifies a specific protein linked to TDP43 dysfunction. This protein could serve as a valuable biomarker for detecting ALS and FTD before symptoms appear.

“We were able to find elevated levels of this protein, really suggesting that this is a mechanism that occurs early on,” Irwin said.

By identifying these diseases earlier, doctors may be able to intervene with treatments sooner.

The team is now working to refine the tests and expand its use to other neurodegenerative diseases.

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