‘A very exciting day’: Canadian design may revolutionize the way ALS is treated – CTV
May 09, 2025
Canadian researchers have launched a world-first study to fight ALS in an entirely new way, using a specially designed helmet that delivers medication into the brain using low-dose ultrasound.
The goal is to open the protective blood-brain barrier and unlock new treatment studies for this fatal neurological disorder.
“I think this is a very exciting day for the ALS community,” said Dr. Lorne Zinman, director of the ALS clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences.
“For the first time, we’re creating this temporary therapeutic window where our interventions have a chance of really making a difference in this awful disease,” added Zinman, who is a co-investigator in this landmark trial.
Bill Traynor didn’t hesitate to sign on as the first patient. The 70-year-old Toronto man was diagnosed with ALS last fall, sparking a devastating decline from his once active lifestyle.
“I always lived on the edge,” Traynor told CTV News. ” Skydiving, scuba diving, skiing, and tennis, which was my big sport.”
