Can ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) be Approached from Unconventional Angles?

 

About ALS

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a motor neurone disease, and a wickedly complex illness. The root cause (or something very close to it) seems to be malfunction in mitochondria, the energy factories of the cell. This is somehow related to damage to the membranes surrounding mitochondria. Damaged mitochondria in motor neurons and muscles "leak" energy as heat rather than producing useful ATP for the cell. This is dangerous, since the body must burn more fuel to compensate. But doing so further stresses already malfunctioning mitichondria. All this ultimately creates an energy deficit large enough that cells begin to fail to carry out basic internal maintenance. Cells then begin to deteriorate and die-off, starting at the junction where nerve meet muscle (neuro-muscular junction, or NMJ), and progressing backward from NMJ sites towards the central nervous system and brain.

Based on personal conviction, if I had to start with one therapy, I would start with Gotu Kola.

Credit: This article was  researched substantially with the help of this Google AI session: 

https://share.google/aimode/jM3WkvzlGxWr4VM4e

Mainstream 

• An encouraging trial of a repurposed heart drug, Trimetazidine, for ALS patients

https://alsnewstoday.com/aan-2023/trial-australia-europe-test-heart-drug-als-patients/

• A Ketogenic diet can be useful for ALS -- ketones are "alternative fuel" that can keep a cell running when its primary glucose engine is failing. 

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1329541/full

• Ketone Esters (KE) - However, a ketogenic diet is difficult to adhere to. Ketone Esters (e.g., in products like KetoneAid KE4) provide "instant ketosis" without needing to restrict carbohydrates. 

Speculative

A speculative direction for seriously afflicted ALS patients might use these principles:

- Clearance: Use Spermidine to purge damaged mitochondria.

- Repair: Administer Intranasal Nano-Lipids (MLR) to seal the remaining mitochondrial membranes.

- Activation: Use Methylene Blue (MB) and Focused Infrared Light to jump-start energy production in the newly sealed energy factories.

- Sustenance: Use GHK-Cu and Gotu Kola to maintain the structural integrity of the "gates" and prevent further toxic protein clumping

This speculative protocol aims to synchronise structural repair (lipids), energy activation (light/MB), and cellular cleanup (spermidine), and other techniques:

• Membrane Lipid Replacement (Membrane Repair):

o Dose: 2g–4g of oral phospholipids or 100mg nano-lipid formulation.

o Timing: Split doses in the Morning and Evening. This ensures a constant supply of "molecular patches" are available for mitochondrial membrane repair throughout the day.

o Source: Professional-grade options include BodyBio PC (a highly concentrated liposomal phospholipid complex) or NTFactor Lipids (the specific nutrient complex used in most clinical Lipid Replacement research).

• Spermidine (Cleanup):

o Dose: 1mg–5mg.

o Timing: Evening / Before Bed. Taking this at night aligns with the body's natural circadian rhythm for mitophagy (clearing out damaged mitochondria) and autophagy during sleep.

• Methylene Blue (The Electron Cycler):

o Dose: 0.5mg/kg–1mg/kg (ultra-low pharmaceutical grade).

o Timing: Mid-Day, specifically 10–60 minutes prior to Light Therapy. It must be present in the tissues to be "excited" by the incoming photons.

• Infrared Light / PBM (Mitochondrial Lubricant):

o Dose: 810nm–1070nm wavelength for 10–20 minutes.

o Delivery: In addition to red-light panels, natural sunlight is the most effective source, containing 850 nm and other wavelengths that penetrate deep into the skin.

o Timing: Mid-Day, following Methylene Blue. This jump-starts the newly repaired mitochondrial factories (Complex IV) to produce ATP instead of heat.

• GHK-Cu (Structural Signaling):

o Dose: 1mg–2.5mg (typically delivered via intranasal spray or subcutaneous injection).

o Timing: Evening. This signals the "softward update" for gene repair and tissue remodeling during the body's peak regenerative deep-sleep phase.

• Ketones (The Premium Fuel):

o Dose: 10g–25g of Ketone Esters or high-C8 MCT oil.

o Timing: Morning or Pre-Activity. This provides an immediate "glucose bypass" fuel source to lower metabolic stress and support motor neuron function when demand is highest.

• Gotu Kola (Neuron Stability and Repair):

o Dose: 500mg–1000mg of a standardized extract (containing at least 10% triterpenes).

o Timing: Morning or Mid-Day, often taken alongside your LRT/MLR and Ketones to act as the "delivery driver" for the day's repair materials.  

o Periodicity: Gotu Kola can be 'heavy' on the liver. One technique is to use it for six weeks, take a week or two break in between, and repeat.  

o Professional Sources: Look for standardized extracts from reputable clinical suppliers like Gaia Herbs or Herb Pharm. Or consider Gotu Kola powder. If you are looking at Gotu Kola powder, not standardised extract, that's one to two teaspoons of powder per day.

• Water (Hydration is crucial for managing ALS ):

o Preparation: Mix a half teaspoon of glycine powder in a cup of water. Also consider bone broth.

• Grounding (for body bioelectric environment):

o Use a grounding sheet or spend time "connected" to the earth before bed. This is postulated to neutralise oxidative stress (ROS) built up during the day and maintain the mitochondrial membrane potential.

Measurement

Idea must prove their worth, and for that their effect must be measurable. 

• Lactate-to-Pyruvate (L/P) Ratio: 

This is a classic "wet biomarker" for mitochondrial disorders. An elevated ratio means the cell is stuck in anaerobic "emergency mode." A normalization of this ratio suggests the Methylene Blue and Membrane Lipid Replacement techniques are successfully shifting the cell back to efficient aerobic energy production.

Further Reading

• The Body Electric: 

'The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life' is a classic work by Dr. Robert O. Becker. In his book, Dr. Becker presented original research about a body-wide direct current (DC) analog signaling system that exists alongside digital nerve impulses (action potentials). He wrote this DC system is responsible for controlling growth, healing, and regeneration. 

When tissue is damaged, a DC "current of injury" is generated. Becker’s research shows the NMJ and its surrounding 'perineural' cells (like Schwann cells) maintain this current, which provides the electrical blueprint for tissue repair. The neuro-muscular junctions Dr. Becker identified as nodes in his DC network are types of structures that degenerate as ALS advances. The loss is not just of the neurons themselves but of the bioelectrical environment that would ordinarily support their integrity.

Dr. Becker's book was written in the eighties. It introduced many intriguing insights; some that have not been fully fleshed out. Modern bioelectricity research (particularly Michael Levin's work) has validated many of the underlying principles he proposed . Techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which applies a very low DC current across the skull, are also descended from the kind of thinking Becker pioneered. It's well worth a read, even today.