(NewsNation) — Scientists have discovered what the immune system attacks in people with ALS, a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for the fatal disease.

The study, published Wednesday in Nature, found that immune cells mistakenly target a protein called C9orf72 in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

It's the first time researchers have identified a specific protein the body attacks in ALS.

The finding is especially important because mutations in the C9orf72 gene are the most common genetic cause of ALS, affecting 40% of people who inherit the disease and 10% of those who develop it without a family history.

Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology analyzed blood samples from 40 ALS patients and 28 healthy people. The immu

See Full Page