Challenges and other "challenges" of which we do not really understand the interest, there are a lot of them on the Net... One of them is particularly memorable:you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge which invaded our sons of news in the summer of 2014? The principle was simple:you had to throw a jump of ice water on your head and nominate your friends. Everyone has tried it, anonymous and celebrities, and if the phenomenon was widely criticized because it did not sufficiently highlight the primary goal which was to collect donations, here is something to make former detractors regret.
Some 100 million dollars were collected over a period of 30 days, which made it possible to develop several research projects. Among them, the MinE project funded by the ALS association which fights against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Charcot's disease. And the breakthrough is phenomenal:researchers have announced the discovery of a gene associated with the disease, NEK1, which could open the way to new treatment possibilities. As a reminder, Charcot's disease attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles, and is almost always fatal. Brian Frederick, the director of communication and development of the ALS association, was delighted with this progress. “It's great because it shows all those who have financially contributed to the Ice Bucket Challenge that their donations have had a real impact on research […] The work carried out within the framework of Project MinE is very important and the discovery of this gene will help us better understand ALS .
The proof that all the fashions that may seem futile on the web are not in vain...
