Mr. Yoshiaki Harakawa

Abstract:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that causes muscle weakness in the extremities, muscle atrophy, and dysphagia due to motor neuron degeneration. It is a neurologically intractable disease that mainly develops in middle age or later, eventually leading to respiratory failure due to paralysis of respiratory muscles, resulting in death within 3-5 years. Familial ALS is found in approximately 10% of all ALS cases and was reported to be caused by a point mutation in the gene for Cu/Zn SOD (SOD1), an antioxidant enzyme. It is hypothesized that oxidative stress damage caused by SOD1 abnormalities is deeply involved in the pathogenesis of ALS, and that oxidative stress may play an important role in the progression and worsening of the disease in ALS. Recently, the use of Edaravone, a radical scavenger, was approved for treatment in Japan the first time. Edaravone was developed as a treatment for acute cerebral infarction and is useful for cranial nerve and blood vessel protection by inhibiting inflammation in the brain. It also significantly improves motor and cognitive deficits for Alzheimer's disease in neurodegenerative disorders, reduces Aβ/p-Tau accumulation, and alleviates neuronal loss, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Similarly, Twendee X, a known antioxidant supplement, also significantly improves motor and cognitive impairment and reduces Aβ/p-Tau accumulation by inhibiting oxidative stress in the brain, protecting mitochondria, and maintaining neurogenesis and autophagy function. It is composed of eight active ingredients consisting of vitamins, amino acids, and CoQ10, and has passed drug-level safety testing. Studies have shown that Twendee X has the potential for symptomatic relief of systemic scleroderma, an intractable therapeutic disease. Twendee X is not a pharmaceutical product and can be used safely on a daily basis. Twendee X is expected to be one of the most promising antioxidant therapies for ALS. Treatment experience for one patient of ALS also presented.