ALS cure found? Potential therapy found, thanks to Ice Bucket Challenge donations

The "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" campaign raised over $220 million research fund to better understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, and scientists have found a potential treatment for the disease. 

Last year, the viral "Ice Bucket Challenge" was created to create awareness for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. ALS is an irreversible and degenerative neurological disease that affects the nerve cells and voluntary muscles, according to ALS Association. The challenge went viral on social media and even prominent celebrities participated in the campaign and donated to charity.

In the aftermath of the viral challenge, Johns Hopkins researchers were able to make a breakthrough against the disease and potential therapies for it. Lead researchers Jonathan Ling and Philip Wong and their colleagues analyzed human and mice cells to find out why many protein clumps called TDP-43 can cause ALS. It was revealed that if there was too much TDP-43 accumulation, RNA (cryptic exons) will kill nerve and brain cells. The findings are published in the journal Science.

According to Forbes, Ling made a thread on the website Reddit called "Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA)" interview and stated that there might be potential treatments for ALS. The therapy involves creating and inserting a special protein that can "mimic the proper functions of TDP-43" so that cells can come back normally. The scientist believes that by inserting TDP-43 function mimic cells in the neurons of ALS patients, the progress of the disease could be slowed down. The acquired donations from the challenge reached up to $220 million and went towards research, fundraising fees, patient services and professional education.

The ALS Association has once again launched the Ice Bucket Challenge this month to raise more funding, and is planning to make the campaign an annual event. According to the International Business Times, this year's campaign only acquired more than $500,000 and many were doubtful that the virality could be recreated.

"So many people told us, you can't recreate the magic of 2014," said Brian Frederick of the ALS Association. "We don't see it as recreating that—we see it as being the next round of it. We have to keep the momentum going that was started in 2014."

The outlet added that a brand new campaign was launched at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox, one member of the 30 Major League Baseball teams for each day of the month.

"We've tried to maintain the integral elements of it which is -- it's fun, it's friends, it's family, it's friendly competition," explained Frederick. "At the end of the day, it's about the integrity of the original purpose of helping people living with ALS."