The Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator is a unique modality for precise tissue removal which results in increased visibility, reduced bleeding, and shorter operating time when dealing with vascular lesions or organs.
The SOD1 mouse develops an ALS-like disease that researchers hope overlaps enough with human ALS that mouse responses to treatment might predict human responses. SOD1 gene mutations, however, cause a familial (inherited) form of human ALS thatâs present in only 1 percent to 3 percent of ALS cases. For some 90 percent of patients, the disease isnât familial. Its onset is unpredictable (sporadic) and the cause is unknown.
ALS is extremely rare, affecting only about two out of every 100,000 people, according to the ALS Association [source: ALSA]. About 5,600 people are diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. each year, and between 20,000 and 30,000 people live with it at any one time [source: ALSA]. What exactly causes ALS isnât known, but researchers are learning more about the disease all the time. In most cases (90 to 95 percent), there is no known cause, and the disease is called sporadic ALS. In the remaining cases (5 to 10 percent), the disease is passed down through families, and is called familial ALS.