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　　冰桶挑战捐款帮助发现致病基因

Ice Bucket Challenge funds gene discovery in ALS (MND) research

The Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral in 2014 has funded an important scientific gene discovery in the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS, the ALS Association says.

美国渐冻症协会表示，2014年风行的冰桶挑战募集了大量资金，已经帮助科学研究发现了与渐冻症相关的重要基因。渐冻症是渐进性神经退行性疾病，学名为肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)。

Scientists have identified a new gene contributing to the disease, NEK1.

科学家已经发现了一种导致该病症的新基因NEK1。

The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised $115m from people pouring cold water over themselves and posting the video on social media.

冰桶挑战共募集了1.15亿美元，参与挑战的人们将冰水泼到自己身上，并在社交媒体发布视频。

It was criticised as a stunt, but has funded six research projects.

该活动曾被批为噱头，但所获捐款资助了六个研究项目。

More than 80 researchers in 11 countries searched for ALS risk genes in families affected by the disease.

11个国家的80多位研究员在受病症影响的家族中寻找渐冻症的风险基因。

The sophisticated gene analysis that led to this finding was only possible because of the large number of ALS samples available, Lucie Bruijn of the ALS Association says.

美国渐冻症协会的科学家露西布鲁因说：因为有大量可供研究的渐冻症病例，才使复杂的基因分析得以实现，也才有了今天的成果。

The identification of gene NEK1 means scientists can now develop a gene therapy treating it.

NEK1基因的发现意味着科学家们从此可以开发治疗该病症的基因疗法。

Although only 10% of ALS patients have the inherited form, researchers believe that genetics contribute to a much larger percentage of cases.

尽管只有10%的渐冻症患者携带该遗传基因，研究者们认为有更高比例的病例与遗传相关。

Social media was awash with videos of people pouring cold water over their heads to raise money for ALS in the summer of 2014.

2014年夏天，人们往头上浇冰水为渐冻症募捐的视频席卷了社交媒体。

More than 17 million people uploaded videos to Facebook, including many celebrities who rose to the challenge, which were then watched by 440 million people worldwide.

超过1700万人在脸书上传了视频，其中包括许多接受了挑战的名人。全世界有4.4亿人观看了相关视频。

　　冰桶挑战

ALS冰桶挑战赛(ALS Ice Bucket Challenge)简称冰桶挑战赛或冰桶挑战，要求参与者在网络上发布自己被冰水浇遍全身的视频内容，然后该参与者便可以要求其他人来参与这一活动。

活动规定，被邀请者要么在24小时内接受挑战，要么就选择为对抗肌肉萎缩性侧索硬化症捐出100美元。该活动旨在是让更多人知道被称为渐冻人的罕见疾病，同时也达到募款帮助治疗的目的。

仅在美国就有170万人参与挑战，250万人捐款，总金额达1.15亿美元，这可能是为某种疾病或紧急情况捐助最多的款项。

What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND)?

肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)，或称运动神经元疾病(MND)小知识

fatal, rapidly progressive disease that affects the brain and spinal cord

病情发展快速的致命疾病，影响大脑和脊髓

attacks nerves that control movement so muscles refuse to work (sensory nerves are not usually affected)

攻击运动神经，导致肌肉无法工作(感觉神经通常不受影响)

can leave people locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk and eventually, breathe

患者受困于衰弱的躯体，不能移动，不能讲话，最终无法呼吸

affects people from all communities

所有人群都可能患病

scientist Stephen Hawking is best-known person with the disease

科学家史蒂芬霍金是最有名的渐冻症患者

kills around a third of people within a year of diagnosis and more than half within two years

确诊后一年，约有三分之一死亡病例，两年内死亡数过半

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