#93 - This Allen Institute's ALS Discovery Could Change Everything - Special ALS Episode with Dr. Merit Cudkowicz & Dr. Tanya Daigle

Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU65vnqkBmE When two of the world's leading ALS researchers meet for the first time on a podcast, something remarkable happens. Dr. Merit Cudkowicz - Tim's close friend and arguably the world's foremost ALS expert, returns to Nothing Left Unsaid for her third appearance, this time joined by Dr. Tanya Daigle from the Allen Institute, who's pioneering genetic tools that could transform how we treat neurodegenerative diseases. Together, they reveal a future for ALS research that's closer than most people realize. This isn't your typical medical conversation. Merit and Tanya speak with unguarded hope about gene therapies that have stopped disease progression in 40% of patients, AI-driven drug discovery that's accelerating at unprecedented rates, and precision targeting tools that could deliver treatments directly to dying motor neurons without invasive brain surgery. They discuss the real bottlenecks between laboratory breakthroughs and patient impact, why most ALS drug trials aren't actually failures, and how the field has evolved from a handful of researchers to a global collaborative effort spanning continents. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Trailer01:09 Intro02:55 Current State of ALS Research05:19 Misconceptions About ALS09:32 Progress and Future of ALS Treatments21:17 Innovations in Genetic Tools for ALS31:59 A New Frontier in ALS Research35:03 Efficiency of Platform Trials in ALS Research36:59 The Importance of Funding and Science Collaboration37:55 Advancements in Treating ALS Smarter38:52 The Role of Biomarkers and Individualized Therapies41:31 Dream Trials and Future Prospects48:01 The Impact of AI in ALS Research54:08 The Next Big Pivot in ALS Research58:18 Hope and Collaboration in ALS Research01:01:04 How to Be Part of ALS Community RESOURCES & LINKS: Allen Institute: https://alleninstitute.orgHealey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General: https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/als SPONSORS:ElevenLabs: Thanks to ElevenLabs (https://elevenlabs.io) for supporting this episode and powering Tim’s voice. SOCIAL:Website: https://nlupod.com/X: https://x.com/nlutimgreenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NLUpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlupod LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-left-unsaid/id1734094890Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/Nothing-Left-Unsaid/B0CWTCRKGZCastbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id6405921?country=usOvercast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1734094890iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-nothing-left-unsaid-155769998/ PERSONAL: Tackle ALS: https://www.tackleals.comTim Green Books: https://authortimgreen.comTim's New Book - ROCKET ARM: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062796895/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices