The TGF-β System As a Potential Pathogenic Player in Disease Modulation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Sebastian Peters,Eva Zitzelsperger,Sabrina Kuespert,Sabine Iberl,Rosmarie Heydn,Siw Johannesen,Susanne Petri,Ludwig Aigner,Dietmar Rudolf Thal,Andreas Hermann,Jochen H. Weishaupt,Tim-Henrik Bruun,Ulrich Bogdahn +12 more
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TLDR
There is an upregulated TGF-β system in specific tissues in ALS that might lead to a “neurotoxic” immune response, promoting disease progression and neurodegeneration, and this system may represent a promising target in treatment of ALS patients.Abstract:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) represents a fatal orphan disease with high unmet medical need, and a life time risk of approx. 1 / 400 persons per population. Based on increasing knowledge on pathophysiology including genetic and molecular changes, epigenetics, and immune dysfunction, inflammatory as well as fibrotic processes may contribute to the heterogeneity and dynamics of ALS. Animal and human studies indicate dysregulations of the TGF-s system as a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders in general and ALS in particular. The TGF-s system is involved in different essential developmental and physiological processes, and regulates immunity and fibrosis, both affecting neurogenesis and neurodegeneration. Therefore, it has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for ALS: a persistent altered TGF-s system might promote disease progression by inducing an imbalance of neurogenesis and neurodegeneration. The current study assessed the activation state of the TGF-s system within the periphery/in life disease stage (serum samples) and a late stage of disease (CNS tissue samples), and a potential influence upon neuronal stem cell activity, immune activation, and fibrosis. An upregulated TGF-s system was suggested with significantly increased TGF-s1 protein serum levels, enhanced TGF-s2 mRNA and protein levels, and a strong trend towards an increased TGF-s1 protein expression within the spinal cord. Stem cell activity appeared diminished, reflected by reduced mRNA expression of neuronal stem cell markers Musashi-1 and Nestin within spinal cord - paralleled by enhanced protein contents of Musashi-1. Doublecortin mRNA and protein expression was reduced, suggesting an arrested neurogenesis at late stage ALS. Chemokine/cytokine analyses suggest a shift from a neuroprotective towards a more neurotoxic immune response: anti-inflammatory chemokines/cytokines were unchanged or reduced, expression of pro-inflammatory chemokines/cytokines were enhanced in ALS sera and spinal cord post mortem tissue. Finally, we observed upregulated mRNA and protein expression for fibronectin in motor cortex of ALS patients which might suggest increased fibrotic changes. These data suggest that there is an upregulated TGF-s system in specific tissues in ALS that might lead to a “neurotoxic” immune response, promoting disease progression and neurodegeneration. The TGF-s system therefore may represent a promising target in treatment of ALS patients.read more
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Dysregulation of MicroRNAs and Target Genes Networks in Peripheral Blood of Patients With Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Maria Liguori,Nicoletta Nuzziello,Alessandro Introna,Arianna Consiglio,Flavio Licciulli,Eustachio D'Errico,Antonio Scarafino,Eugenio Distaso,Isabella Laura Simone +8 more
TL;DR: This research presents a novel probabilistic approach to estimating the response of the immune system to laser-spot assisted, 3D image analysis of central nervous system injury.
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Enabling precision medicine by unravelling disease pathophysiology: quantifying signal transduction pathway activity across cell and tissue types.
TL;DR: A method enabling quantitative measurement of functional pathway activity based on Bayesian computational model inference of pathway activity from measurements of mRNA levels of target genes of the pathway-associated transcription factor is developed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Fibrotic Scar in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Nadia D'Ambrosi,Savina Apolloni +1 more
TL;DR: Recent advances around the role of fibrotic scar formation and function in different neurodegenerative conditions are discussed, particularly focusing on the rising role of scarring in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease and highlighting the therapeutic relevance of targeting fib rotic scarring to slow and reverse Neurodegeneration.
Journal ArticleDOI
Advances in stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Letizia Mazzini,Daniela Ferrari,Pavle R. Andjus,Leonora Buzanska,Roberto Cantello,Fabiola De Marchi,Maurizio Gelati,Rashid Giniatullin,Joel C. Glover,Mariagrazia Grilli,Elena N. Kozlova,Margherita Maioli,Dinko Mitrečić,Augustas Pivoriunas,Rosario Sanchez-Pernaute,Anna Sarnowska,Angelo L. Vescovi,Bioneca Cost Action Wg Neurology +17 more
TL;DR: An integrated review of pre-clinical and clinical studies focused on the development of cell-based therapies for ALS examines the biology of stem cell treatments and results obtained from pre- clinical models of ALS and examines the methods and the results obtained to date from clinical trials.
Journal ArticleDOI
Skeletal Muscle in ALS: An Unappreciated Therapeutic Opportunity?
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review clinical and preclinical studies that targeted skeletal muscles and discuss the different approaches, including pharmacological interventions, supplements or diets, genetic modifications, and training programs.
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