Public release date: 15-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School WORCESTER, Mass. A new genetic mutation that causes familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, has been identified by a team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). Mutations to the profilin (PFN1) gene, which is essential to the growth and development of nerve cell axons, is estimated to account for one to two percent of inherited ALS cases Continue reading →