Only Fossett is flying solo on the estimated two to three week trip. In addition, three other teams have announced their plans to join the race, including a team who will make their attempt from Australia, ascending to an altitude of 130,000 feet.
ALS is a fatal disease: Most ALS patients die within two to five years of diagnosis. Common causes of death are respiratory failure and/or cardiac problems related to insufficient oxygen. Patients may also suffer respiratory infections, such as pneumonia.
Researchers discover how ALS spreads. 1  New Tool for Understanding ALS: Patients' Brain Cells. 2  Study of Lou Gehrig's Disease Shifts 'Origin' Focus to Brain's Motor Neurons. 3  Unraveling Tangled Origin of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) 4  Toxin from Brain Cells Triggers Neuron Loss in Human ALS Model.