Columns

It’s that time of year when people are thinking about resolutions, things they can do to improve themselves in 2026. Whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, learning a new skill, or going on an adventure,…

Every December, I write an end-of-the-year column. I try to make it inspiring, or at the very least optimistic, but sometimes I can’t even accomplish that. Last year’s wrap-up was essentially a long-winded way of me saying, “See you never,…

Throughout 2025, the team at SMA News Today has brought our audience the latest advances in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), from emerging treatments and clinical trial updates to real-world research. As the year comes to a close, we’ve…

A medicine called leuprorelin acetate, approved in the U.S. to treat prostate cancer, can slow the progression of physical disability in people with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), according to an analysis of a real-world study…

The other day, I got my wheelchair stuck in a doorway. All I wanted to do was see the Christmas decorations at a local coffee shop. Perhaps even enjoy a nice cup of their matcha while quietly…

Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays that make me grateful. I am thankful for the birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus, and how he not only brought me through all the events of this year in one…

The magic of theater is that it’s live. Despite having a script, cues, rehearsals, and anything else the cast and crew can use to achieve consistency, the live nature of theater means the production remains…

Last month’s approval of Novartis‘ one-time gene therapy Itvisma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-brve) for people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) ages 2 and older is a milestone that “ushers in a new era of informed…

When I was 11 years old, I had pneumonia and spent the week before Christmas in the intensive care unit. Because I have SMA, my pulmonary functions are weaker, and when I get sick — even with a…

A new review of studies from six countries reveals that incorporating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) into newborn screening (NBS) programs yields clinical improvements and reduces healthcare spending, particularly when paired with presymptomatic treatment. “These results collectively…