Investigating cell death mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using transcriptomics

Investigating cell death mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using transcriptomics

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease characterized by degeneration and loss of upper and lower motor neurons from the motor cortex, brainstem and spinal cord although evidence is suggesting that there is further involvement of other cell types in the surrounding tissue. Transcriptomic analysis by gene expression profiling using microarray technology has enabled the dete...

Transcriptomics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset, incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective death of upper and lowers motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem and motor cortex, which ultimately leads to paralysis and death within 2-3 years of onset. ALS is poorly understood, although multiple studies have been proposed to explain the pathophysiological mechanism...

Programmed cell death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common variant of motor neurone disease affecting adults that usually strikes during mid to late life. Its aetiology is still poorly understood, although a major breakthrough came with the discovery that mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene affect approximately 20% of patients with familial ALS. Experiments using both transgenic...

Can Transcriptomics Cut the Gordian Knot of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset degenerative disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons, progressive muscle atrophy, paralysis and death, which occurs within 2-5 years of diagnosis. Most cases appear sporadically but some are familial, usually inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. It is postulated that the disease results from the combination ...