scholarly journals Lack of TNF-alpha receptor type 2 protects motor neurons in a cellular model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and in mutant SOD1 mice but does not affect disease progression

2015 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Tortarolo ◽  
Antonio Vallarola ◽  
Dario Lidonnici ◽  
Elisa Battaglia ◽  
Francesco Gensano ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojiao Xu ◽  
Dingding Shen ◽  
Yining Gao ◽  
Qinming Zhou ◽  
You Ni ◽  
...  

AbstractAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease involving both upper and lower motor neurons, leading to paralysis and eventually death. Symptomatic treatments such as inhibition of salivation, alleviation of muscle cramps, and relief of spasticity and pain still play an important role in enhancing the quality of life. To date, riluzole and edaravone are the only two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ALS in a few countries. While there is adequate consensus on the modest efficacy of riluzole, there are still open questions concerning the efficacy of edaravone in slowing the disease progression. Therefore, identification of novel therapeutic strategies is urgently needed. Impaired autophagic process plays a critical role in ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we focus on therapies modulating autophagy in the context of ALS. Furthermore, stem cell therapies, gene therapies, and newly-developed biomaterials have great potentials in alleviating neurodegeneration, which might halt the disease progression. In this review, we will summarize the current and prospective therapies for ALS.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Hayes-Punzo ◽  
Patrick Mulcrone ◽  
Michael Meyer ◽  
Jacalyn Mchugh ◽  
Clive N. Svendsen ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yafa Fetfet Malada Edelstein ◽  
Yulia Solomonov ◽  
Nurit Hadad ◽  
Leenor Alfahel ◽  
Adrian Israelson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal multifactorial neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective death of motor neurons. Cytosolic phospholipase A2 alpha (cPLA2α) upregulation and activation in the spinal cord of ALS patients has been reported. We have previously shown that cPLA2α upregulation in the spinal cord of mutant SOD1 transgenic mice (SOD1G93A) was detected long before the development of the disease, and inhibition of cPLA2α upregulation delayed the disease’s onset. The aim of the present study was to determine the mechanism for cPLA2α upregulation. Methods Immunofluorescence analysis and western blot analysis of misfolded SOD1, cPLA2α and inflammatory markers were performed in the spinal cord sections of SOD1G93A transgenic mice and in primary motor neurons. Over expression of mutant SOD1 was performed by induction or transfection in primary motor neurons and in differentiated NSC34 motor neuron like cells. Results Misfolded SOD1 was detected in the spinal cord of 3 weeks old mutant SOD1G93A mice before cPLA2α upregulation. Elevated expression of both misfolded SOD1 and cPLA2α was specifically detected in the motor neurons at 6 weeks with a high correlation between them. Elevated TNFα levels were detected in the spinal cord lysates of 6 weeks old mutant SOD1G93A mice. Elevated TNFα was specifically detected in the motor neurons and its expression was highly correlated with cPLA2α expression at 6 weeks. Induction of mutant SOD1 in primary motor neurons induced cPLA2α and TNFα upregulation. Over expression of mutant SOD1 in NSC34 cells caused cPLA2α upregulation which was prevented by antibodies against TNFα. The addition of TNFα to NSC34 cells caused cPLA2α upregulation in a dose dependent manner. Conclusions Motor neurons expressing elevated cPLA2α and TNFα are in an inflammatory state as early as at 6 weeks old mutant SOD1G93A mice long before the development of the disease. Accumulated misfolded SOD1 in the motor neurons induced cPLA2α upregulation via induction of TNFα.


2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1482-1487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma L. Bastow ◽  
Campbell W. Gourlay ◽  
Mick F. Tuite

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease attributable to the death of motor neurons. Associated with ALS are mutations in the genes encoding SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1), FUS (fused in Sarcoma) protein and TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein-43) each of which leads to aggregation of the respective protein. For example, the ALS-associated mutations in the hSOD1 (human SOD1) gene typically destabilize the native SOD homodimer, leading to misfolding, aggregation and degradation of SOD1. The ALS-associated pathology is not a consequence of the functional inactivation of SOD1 itself, but is rather due to a toxic gain-of-function triggered by mutant SOD1. Recently, the molecular basis of a number of human neurodegenerative diseases resulting from protein misfolding and aggregation, including fALS (familial ALS), was probed by using the baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a highly tractable model. Such studies have, for example, identified novel mutant SOD1-specific interactions and demonstrated that mutant SOD1 disrupts mitochondrial homoeostasis. Features of ALS associated with TDP-43 aggregation have also been recapitulated in S. cerevisiae including the identification of modulators of the toxicity of TDP-43. In this paper, we review recent studies of ALS pathogenesis using S. cerevisiae as a model organism and summarize the potential mechanisms involved in ALS progression.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
David Czell ◽  
Christoph Neuwirth ◽  
Markus Weber ◽  
Sabine Sartoretti-Schefer ◽  
Andreas Gutzeit ◽  
...  

Objective. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with involvement of the upper and lower motor neurons. Since the loss of fine motor skills is one of the earliest signs of ALS, the hypothesis was tested if the nine hole PEG test (NHPT) and transcranial magnet stimulation (TMS) with resting-motor threshold (RMT) could be useful in monitoring disease progression. Methods. We examined 28 ALS patients and 27 age-matched healthy controls. ALS patients and healthy controls underwent the nine hole peg test (NHPT) and TMS with RMT. Measurements in patients were repeated after three and six months. Results. At baseline, the median NHPT durations were 1,4-fold longer (p<0.001), and TMS scores showed a significant 0.8-fold smaller score in ALS patients compared with healthy controls (p<0.001). The comparison of three and six months versus baseline revealed significant differences for NHPT durations and ALSFRS-R in patients, whereas TMS scores did not significantly differ in the patients. Conclusion. NHPT seems to be a good tool to evaluate dexterity of the hand and the progression of the disease in ALS patients. TMS RMT to the hand muscles seems to be poorly qualified to evaluate the dexterity of the hand function and the course of the disease.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Krakora ◽  
Corey Macrander ◽  
Masatoshi Suzuki

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs), leading to muscular atrophy and eventual respiratory failure. ALS research has primarily focused on mechanisms regarding MN cell death; however, degenerative processes in the skeletal muscle, particularly involving neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), are observed in the early stages of and throughout disease progression. According to the “dying-back” hypothesis, NMJ degeneration may not only precede, but actively cause upper and lower MN loss. The importance of NMJ pathology has relatively received little attention in ALS, possibly because compensatory mechanisms mask NMJ loss for prolonged periods. Many mechanisms explaining NMJ degeneration have been proposed such as the disruption of anterograde/retrograde axonal transport, irregular cellular metabolism, and changes in muscle gene and protein expression. Neurotrophic factors, which are known to have neuroprotective and regenerative properties, have been intensely investigated for their therapeutic potential in both the preclinical and clinical setting. Additional research should focus on the potential of preserving NMJs in order to delay or prevent disease progression


Autophagy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 534-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirma D. Perera ◽  
Rebecca K. Sheean ◽  
Chew L. Lau ◽  
Yea Seul Shin ◽  
Philip M. Beart ◽  
...  

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