Cryptic inclusions UNCover losses driving neurodegeneration.

Pathology formed by the protein TDP-43 (TAR DNA binding protein 43) is the hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies by Ma et al. and Brown et al. reveal that loss of TDP-43 function causes inclusion of cryptic exons in specific mRNAs, including the synaptic gene UNC13A, a known genetic risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These findings suggest new disease mechanisms.