Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neuro-degenerative disorder that is clinically recognized as a gradual degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons, with an average duration of 3 to 5 years from initial of symptoms to death. The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and progression of the disease are multifactorial. Therefore, to find effective treatments, it is necessary to understand the heterogeneity underlying the progression of ALS. Recent developments in gene therapy have opened a new avenue to treat this condition, especially for the characterized genetic types. Gene therapy methods have been studied in various pre-clinical settings and clinical trials, and they may be a promising path for developing an effective and safe ALS cure. A growing body of evidence demonstrates abnormalities in metabolic energy at the cellular and whole-body level in animal models and people living with ALS. Using and incorporatig high-throughput "omics" methods have radically transformed our thoughts about ALS, strengthened our understanding of the disease's dynamic molecular architecture, differentiated distinct patient subtypes, and created a reasonable basis for identifying biomarkers and novel individualised treatments. Future clinical and laboratory trials would also focus on the diverse relationships between metabolism and ALS to address the issue of whether targeting poor metabolism in ALS is an effective way to change disease progression. In this review, we focus on the detailed pathogenesis of ALS and highlight principal genes, i.e., SOD1, TDP-43, C9orf72, and FUS, as well as targeted ALS therapies. An attempt is made to provide up-to-date clinical outcomes, including various biomarkers that are thought to be important players in early ALS detection.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389200223666220310113110 | DOI Listing |
As a key inflammatory factor, the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a crucial role in neuroinflammation and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Dysregulation of NLRP3 signaling can trigger various inflammatory responses in the brain, contributing to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as ischemic stroke, vascular dementia (VaD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Therefore, the NLRP3 signaling pathway is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including VaD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile novel deep learning and statistics-based techniques predict accurate structural models for proteins and non-coding RNA, describing their macromolecular conformations in solution is still challenging. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in solution is an efficient technique to validate structural predictions by comparing the experimental SAXS profile with those calculated from predicted structures. There are two main challenges in comparing SAXS profiles to RNA structures: the structures often lack cations necessary for stability and charge neutralization, and a single structure inadequately represents the conformational plasticity of RNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe transgenic SOD1G93A mouse model is the most widely used animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal disease of motor neuron degeneration. While genetic background influences onset and progression variability of motor dysfunction, the C57BL/6 background most reliably exhibits robust ALS phenotypes; thus, it is the most widely used strain in mechanistic studies. In this model, paresis begins in the hindlimbs and spreads rostrally to the forelimbs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Neurobiol
January 2025
Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. While the exact cause of ALS is not fully understood, a combination of genetic and environmental factors is believed to contribute to its development. Growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6), a vitamin K-dependent protein, has been recognized to enhance oligodendrocytes and neurons' survival and is associated with different kinds of (neuro)inflammatory conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Neurosci
January 2025
Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to altered gene expression. However, the mechanisms leading to disrupted RNA processing in HD remain unclear. Here we identify TDP-43 and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer protein METTL3 to be upstream regulators of exon skipping in multiple HD systems.
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