Canadian Researchers Reach ‘Major Milestone’ in Search for ALS Treatment

A focused ultrasound helmet is attached to an MRI scanner as part of an early-stage clinical trial exploring the delivery of immunoglobulin to the brain of a patient with ALS at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto on May 7, 2025. The Canadian Press/Laura Proctor

Standing in an MRI control room packed with fellow ALS researchers, Dr. Lorne Zinman excitedly points to the brain scan on his phone.

There’s a white spot on the image, right where Bill Traynor’s motor cortex is. The 70-year-old patient is lying on the MRI bed with his head inside a dome that sends focused ultrasound waves to his head in the experimental trial.