Ice Bucket Challenge funds major breakthrough in ALS research

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: The Independent

Cynics may have dismissed the Ice Bucket Challenge campaign as a stunt, but it helped fund research that has led to an important breakthrough.

A study given $1m (£760,000) raised by the ALS Association's campaign has led to the discovery of a gene that appears to be behind some cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

The Challenge, which encouraged people to dunk a bucket of iced water over their heads in order to solicit donations, raised more than $100m (£76m) in a month, and was able to support multiple research projects.

One of which was Massachusetts University Medical School’s Project MinE, which has now identified the role of a gene called NEK1 in ALS, also called motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig's disease in the US.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/als-ice-bucket-challenge-breakthrough-research-funding-motor-neurone-disease-mnd-lou-gehrig-a7157716.html

[Blue_Tires]

1. You'll hear no complaints from me...

[rocktivity]

2. The article mentions that Obama politely rejected the challenge

But nobody's perfect.

I put this together for my New Jersey health news blog:

YourHHRS News: Critics complain that the challenge is really about feeding our American narcissism and does nothing for ALS awareness or funding. They assert that people should just quietly donate their money and move on with their lives.

I get it that they’re cranky, but...fear not...this, too, shall pass, and your Facebook newsfeed will go back to cat videos and kids singing Let It Go...(W)e are in for the fight of our lives with this monster, and the VERY LAST thing I want is for people to give quietly, anonymously, and then slink away...

rocktivity

[Bradical79]

3. Awesome!

I'm not a big social media person, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Had no idea it was a big charity thing and raised that much money!