Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive paralysis due to motor neuron degeneration. It has been proposed that epigenetic modification and transcriptional dysregulation may contribute to motor neuron death. In this study, we investigate the basis for therapeutic approaches to target lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) and elucidate the mechanistic role of LSD1-histone H3K4 signaling pathway in ALS pathogenesis.
Methods: In order to examine the role of spermidine (SD), we administered SD to an animal model of ALS (G93A) and performed neuropathological analysis, body weight, and survival evaluation.
Results: Herein, we found that LSD1 activity is increased while levels of H3K4me2, a substrate of LSD1, is decreased in cellular and animal models of ALS. SD administration modulated the LSD1 activity and restored H3K4me2 levels in ChAT-positive motor neurons in the lumbar spinal cord of ALS mice. SD prevented cellular damage by improving the number and size of motor neurons in ALS mice. SD administration also reduced GFAP-positive astrogliogenesis in the white and gray matter of the lumbar spinal cord, improving the neuropathology of ALS mice. Moreover, SD administration improved the rotarod performance and gait analysis of ALS mice. Finally, SD administration delayed disease onset and prolonged the lifespan of ALS (G93A) transgenic mice.
Conclusion: Together, modulating epigenetic targets such as LSD1 by small compounds may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating ALS.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12929-022-00890-3 | 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 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.
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Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China.
Mutations in the ANXA11 gene, encoding an RNA-binding protein, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the underlying in vivo mechanisms remain unclear. This study examines the clinical features of ALS patients harboring the ANXA11 hotspot mutation p.P36R, characterized by late-onset motor neuron disease and occasional multi-system involvement.
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January 2025
Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Corticospinal motor neurons (CSMN), located in the motor cortex of the brain, are one of the key components of the motor neuron circuitry. They are in part responsible for the initiation and modulation of voluntary movement, and their degeneration is the hallmark for numerous diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), hereditary spastic paraplegia, and primary lateral sclerosis. Cortical hyperexcitation followed by in-excitability suggests the early involvement of cortical dysfunction in ALS pathology.
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Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Mitochondrial function is modulated by its interaction with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent research indicates that these contacts are disrupted in familial models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We report here that this impairment in the crosstalk between mitochondria and the ER impedes the use of glucose-derived pyruvate as mitochondrial fuel, causing a shift to fatty acids to sustain energy production.
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