Motor neurone disease: a Pandora's box

The identification of specific causal genes and the development of animal models of MND offer realistic hope of new treatments

Since Charcot's first description, motor neurone disease (or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) has remained an enigma.1 Without a clear understanding of the pathogenesis, and with relatively little therapy to offer other than symptomatic and palliative intervention, clinicians have faced the difficult task of effectively managing patients with this relentlessly progressive disease. However, advances in understanding over the past decade have reignited research interest, renewing hope that a curative approach may be forthcoming.