Disease Progression In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Articles

Increased activation ability of monocytes from ALS patients

Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as an important mediator of disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recent research suggests that pro-inflammatory microglia in ALS mice promote motoneuron cytotoxicity by secreting reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Gene expression analyses indicate that peripheral circulating monocytes from ALS patients are skewed towards a pro-inflammatory state that contributes to ALS disease progression. Better understanding of macrophage phenotypes of ALS patients is therefore warranted. In this study, we demonstrate that M1 macrophages differentiated from ALS circulating monocytes produced more pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNFα, than M1 macrophages derived from healthy control monocytes. More importantly, IL-6 protein levels of ALS M1 macrophages positively correlated with disease burden, and TNFα protein levels of ALS M1 macrophages positively correlate with disease progression rates. Collectively, these data suggest that monocytes from ALS patients are more readily activated and differentiated to a pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, and represent a potential target for immunomodulatory therapy.

Emotional Lability at Disease Onset Is an Independent Prognostic Factor of Faster Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fast progressing neurodegenerative disease leading to quadriplegia, anarthria and respiratory insufficiency. A large variety of phenotypes and disability progression requires individually tailored management. Identification of predictors of poor prognosis may not only improve management, but also allow for more precise patients’ stratification for clinical trials or research studies. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of emotional lability present at disease onset on ALS progression by exploring its direct impact on the decay of the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R). The study was performed in a group of 1145 patients from Germany, Poland, Portugal and Turkey between 2014 and 2018. The analysis showed that the presence of emotional lability at ALS onset was linked to a faster decline of ALSFRS-R (0.70 vs 0.50, p<0.0001), in case of either bulbar (0.80 vs 0.65, p<0.05) or limb disease onset (0.59 vs 0.46, p <0.01). It was most prominent in the bulbar subscore of ALSFRS-R. A multiple regression analysis showed a direct influence of emotional lability at ALS onset on disease progression, regardless of age, gender, site of onset, weight loss, cognitive impairment and diagnosis delay (β=0.071; p=0.019). It can therefore be concluded that the presence of emotional lability at the disease onset is an independent factor of faster disease progression in ALS.

The microglial NLRP3 inflammasome is activated by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis proteins.

Microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation is emerging as a key contributor to neuroinflammation during neurodegeneration. Pathogenic protein aggregates such as β-amyloid and α-synuclein trigger microglial NLRP3 activation, leading to caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion. Both caspase-1 and IL-1β contribute to disease progression in the mouse SOD1G93A model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting a role for microglial NLRP3. Prior studies, however, suggested SOD1G93A mice microglia do not express NLRP3, and SOD1G93A protein generated IL-1β in microglia independent to NLRP3. Here, we demonstrate using Nlrp3-GFP gene knock-in mice that microglia express NLRP3 in SOD1G93A mice. We show that both aggregated and soluble SOD1G93A activates inflammasome in primary mouse microglia leading caspase-1 and IL-1β cleavage, ASC speck formation, and the secretion of IL-1β in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Importantly, SOD1G93A was unable to induce IL-1β secretion from microglia deficient for Nlrp3, or pretreated with the specific NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, confirming NLRP3 as the key inflammasome complex mediating SOD1-induced microglial IL-1β secretion. Microglial NLRP3 upregulation was also observed in the TDP-43Q331K ALS mouse model, and TDP-43 wild-type and mutant proteins could also activate microglial inflammasomes in a NLRP3-dependent manner. Mechanistically, we identified the generation of reactive oxygen species and ATP as key events required for SOD1G93A -mediated NLRP3 activation. Taken together, our data demonstrate that ALS microglia express NLRP3, and that pathological ALS proteins activate the microglial NLRP3 inflammasome. NLRP3 inhibition may therefore be a potential therapeutic approach to arrest microglial neuroinflammation and ALS disease progression.

Modified age-dependent expression of NaV1.6 in an ALS model correlates with motor cortex excitability alterations

Cortical hyperexcitability is an early and intrinsic feature of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), but the mechanisms underlying this critical neuronal dysfunction are poorly understood. Recently, we have demonstrated that layer V pyramidal neurons (PNs) in the primary motor cortex (M1) of one-month old (P30) G93A ALS mice display an early hyperexcitability status compared to Control mice. In order to investigate the time-dependent evolution of the cortical excitability in the G93A ALS model, here we have performed an electrophysiological and immunohistochemical study at three different mouse ages. M1 PNs from 14-days old (P14) G93A mice have shown no excitability alterations, while M1 PNs from 3-months old (P90) G93A mice have shown a hypoexcitability status, compared to Control mice. These age-dependent cortical excitability dysfunctions correlate with a similar time-dependent trend of the persistent sodium current (INaP) amplitude alterations, suggesting that INaP may play a crucial role in the G93A cortical excitability aberrations. Specifically, immunohistochemistry experiments have indicated that the expression level of the NaV1.6 channel, one of the voltage-gated Na+ channels mainly distributed within the central nervous system, varies in G93A primary motor cortex during disease progression, according to the excitability and INaP alterations, but not in other cortical areas. Microfluorometry experiments, combined with electrophysiological recordings, have verified that P30 G93A PNs hyperexcitability is associated to a greater accumulation of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) compared to Control PNs, and that this difference is still present when G93A and Control PNs fire action potentials at the same frequency.These results suggest that [Ca2+]i de-regulation in G93A PNs may contribute to neuronal demise and that the NaV1.6 channels could be a potential therapeutic target to ameliorate ALS disease progression.

Decreased Glycogenolysis by miR-338-3p Promotes Regional Glycogen Accumulation Within the Spinal Cord of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mice.

Metabolic dysfunction is a hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). But the crosstalk between metabolic alteration and disease progression in ALS is still largely unknown. Glycogen, a branched polymer of glucose residues, is universally recognized as the energy reserve of the central nervous system (CNS), where its aberrant accumulation instigates neurodegeneration. Glycogen was reported to be accumulated in both CNS and visceral organs of SOD1G93A mice, a well-known ALS model, and contributes to the pathological process of ALS. However, the accumulative patterns and mechanisms are not well elucidated. Here, we provide extensive evidence to demonstrate that glycogen accumulated in the lumbar spinal cord of ALS mice along with the disease progression, but not in the motor cortex. This regional accumulation of glycogen was caused by deteriorated glycogenolysis, which was triggered by decreased glycogen phosphorylase, brain form (PYGB). Moreover, miR-338-3p, an elevated miRNA in the spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice, directly targeted PYGB and was responsible for the decreased glycogenolysis and subsequent glycogen accumulation. Our work is helpful for better understanding of of of metabolic dysfunctions in ALS and provides novel targets for the therapeutic intervention in the future.

Cholinergic modulation of motor neurons through the C-boutons are necessary for the locomotor compensation for severe motor neuron loss during amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease progression

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor neuron (MN) death that leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually death. When symptoms become clinically evident, patients and ALS model animals (mSod1G93A mice) have already lost a large portion of motor units, suggesting the existence of a compensatory mechanism that allows for reactively normal movement despite denervation. Furthermore, it has been shown that specialized cholinergic synapses, the C-boutons, regulate activity strength of motor output in a task dependent manner. We hypothesized that the cholinergic modulation of motor neurons through C-boutons increases motor neuron excitability, and that this C-bouton associated activity increase in surviving motor neurons could compensate for motor unit loss during ALS disease progression. We first provide a thorough analysis of the muscle denervation and behavioral changes in the mSod1G93A mice using immunohistology, electrophysiology, and quantitative analysis of locomotor behavior. Then, in support of our hypothesis, we show that task dependent modulation of hindlimb muscle activation that relies on C-bouton activation diminishes as the disease progresses. Furthermore, the capability of mSod1G93A mice to walk at higher speeds on a treadmill decreases significantly at younger ages when C-boutons are silenced. Our observations that C-bouton modulation of motor neurons is involved in compensation during ALS disease progression can have significant therapeutic implications for sustaining mobility and preserving the quality of life in human ALS patients.

The potential roles of aquaporin 4 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is a primary water channel found on astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Besides its function in water and ion homeostasis, AQP4 has also been documented to be involved in a myriad of acute and chronic cerebral pathologies, including autoimmune neurodegenerative diseases. AQP4 has been postulated to be associated with the incidence of a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that targets the motor neurons, causing muscle weakness and eventually paralysis. Raised AQP4 levels were noted in association with vessels surrounded with swollen astrocytic processes as well as in the brainstem, cortex, and gray matter in patients with terminal ALS. AQP4 depolarization may lead to motor neuron degeneration in ALS via GLT-1. Besides, alterations in AQP4 expression in ALS may result in the loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Changes in AQP4 function may also disrupt K+ homeostasis and cause connexin dysregulation, the latter of which is associated to ALS disease progression. Furthermore, AQP4 suppression augments recovery in motor function in ALS, a phenomenon thought to be associated to NGF. No therapeutic drug targeting AQP4 has been developed to date. Nevertheless, the plethora of suggestive experimental results underscores the significance of further exploration into this area.

Single injection of sustained-release prostacyclin analog ONO-1301-MS ameliorates hypoxic toxicity in the murine model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by several pathologies including oxidative stress, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and glutamate toxicity. Although multiple reports suggest that ischemia and hypoxia in the spinal cord plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ALS, the precise role of hypoxia in disease progression remains unknown. In this study, we detected higher expression levels of Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), a key regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia, in the spinal cord of ALS patients and in the transgenic mice overexpressing the familial ALS-associated G93A SOD1 mutation (mSOD1G93A mice) compared to controls. Single subcutaneous administration of sustained-release prostacyclin analog ONO-1301-MS to mSOD1G93A mice abrogated the expression of HIF-1α in their spinal cords, as well as erythropoietin (EPO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), both of which are downstream to HIF-1α. Furthermore, ONO-1301-MS increased the level of mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and ATP production in the spinal cords of mSOD1G93A mice. At late disease stages, the motor function and the survival of motor neurons of ONO-1301-MS-treated mSOD1G93A mice was significantly improved compared to vehicle-treated mSOD1G93A mice. Our data suggest that vasodilator therapy modulating local blood flow in the spinal cord has beneficial effects against ALS disease progression.

FM19G11-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles Enhance the Proliferation and Self-Renewal of Ependymal Stem Progenitor Cells Derived from ALS Mice.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. In ALS mice, neurodegeneration is associated with the proliferative restorative attempts of ependymal stem progenitor cells (epSPCs) that normally lie in a quiescent in the spinal cord. Thus, modulation of the proliferation of epSPCs may represent a potential strategy to counteract neurodegeneration. Recent studies demonstrated that FM19G11, a hypoxia-inducible factor modulator, induces epSPC self-renewal and proliferation. The aim of the study was to investigate whether FM19G11-loaded gold nanoparticles (NPs) can affect self-renewal and proliferation processes in epSPCs isolated from G93A-SOD1 mice at disease onset. We discovered elevated levels of SOX2, OCT4, AKT1, and AKT3, key genes associated with pluripotency, self-renewal, and proliferation, in G93A-SOD1 epSPCs at the transcriptional and protein levels after treatment with FM19G11-loaded NPs. We also observed an increase in the levels of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) gene in treated cells. FM19G11-loaded NPs treatment also affected the expression of the cell cycle-related microRNA (miR)-19a, along with its target gene PTEN, in G93A-SOD1 epSPCs. Overall our findings establish the significant impact of FM19G11-loaded NPs on the cellular pathways involved in self-renewal and proliferation in G93A-SOD1 epSPCs, thus providing an impetus to the design of novel tailored approaches to delay ALS disease progression.

Revisiting the role of the innate immune complement system in ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal and rapidly progressing motor neuron disease without effective treatment. Although the precise mechanisms leading to ALS are yet to be determined, there is now increasing evidence implicating components of the innate immune complement system in the onset and progression of its motor phenotypes. This review will survey the clinical and experimental evidence for the role of the complement system in driving neuroinflammation and contributing to ALS disease progression. Specifically, it will explore findings regarding the different complement activation pathways involved in ALS, with a focus on the terminal pathway. It will also examine potential future research directions for complement in ALS, highlighting the targeting of specific molecular components of the system.

Recumbent stepping aerobic exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study

Aerobic exercise can promote neuroplastic responses in the healthy and injured brain. Although the role of exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is debated, new evidence suggests that exercise may reduce disease progression. While common exercise modalities such as the treadmill and cycle ergometer have been explored in ALS, the safety and feasibility of a total body recumbent stepper have not been investigated. Additionally, the functional and neurophysiological effects of recumbent stepping in ALS are still unknown. Here, we investigated the safety and feasibility of a 4-week recumbent stepping program to slow disease progression in ALS and possibly facilitate neuroplasticity. Nine individuals with ALS performed moderate intensity recumbent stepping for four weeks. Outcomes included participation satisfaction questionnaire, ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R), clinical tests of walking and endurance, fatigue severity scale, Beck depression inventory, SF-12, and transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs). All measurements were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at the 1-month follow-up. Eight participants completed the study without any adverse events. The ALSFRS-R scores were similar at the end of the study and at follow-up. No significant differences were noted for any of the clinical outcomes. MEPs were present only in two participants and changes in corticomotor excitability after exercise were minimal. Results from this preliminary study support the safety and feasibility of 12 sessions of total body recumbent stepping in individuals with ALS.

Expression of the axon-guidance protein receptor Neuropilin 1 is increased in the spinal cord and decreased in muscle of a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative motor neuron disorder. It is supposed that ALS is at least in part an axonopathy. Neuropilin 1 is an important receptor of the axon repellent Semaphorin 3A and a co-receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor. It is probably involved in neuronal and axonal de-/regeneration and might be of high relevance for ALS pathogenesis and/or disease progression. To elucidate whether the expression of either Neuropilin1 or Semaphorin3A is altered in ALS we investigated these proteins in human brain, spinal cord and muscle tissue of ALS-patients and controls as well as transgenic SOD1G93A and control mice. Neuropilin1 and Semaphorin3A gene and protein expression were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry. Groups were compared using either Student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. We observed a consistent increase of Neuropilin1 expression in the spinal cord and decrease of Neuropilin1 and Semaphorin3A in muscle tissue of transgenic SOD1G93A mice at the mRNA and protein level. Previous studies have shown that damage of neurons physiologically causes Neuropilin1 and Semaphorin3A increase in the central nervous system and decrease in the peripheral nervous system. Our results indicate that this also occurs in ALS. Pharmacological modulation of expression and function of axon repellents could be a promising future therapeutic option in ALS.

Model-Based and Model-Free Techniques for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Diagnostic Prediction and Patient Clustering.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex progressive neurodegenerative disorder with an estimated prevalence of about 5 per 100,000 people in the United States. In this study, the ALS disease progression is measured by the change of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) score over time. The study aims to provide clinical decision support for timely forecasting of the ALS trajectory as well as accurate and reproducible computable phenotypic clustering of participants. Patient data are extracted from DREAM-Phil Bowen ALS Prediction Prize4Life Challenge data, most of which are from the Pooled Resource Open-Access ALS Clinical Trials Database (PRO-ACT) archive. We employed model-based and model-free machine-learning methods to predict the change of the ALSFRS score over time. Using training and testing data we quantified and compared the performance of different techniques. We also used unsupervised machine learning methods to cluster the patients into separate computable phenotypes and interpret the derived subcohorts. Direct prediction of univariate clinical outcomes based on model-based (linear models) or model-free (machine learning based techniques - random forest and Bayesian adaptive regression trees) was only moderately successful. The correlation coefficients between clinically observed changes in ALSFRS scores relative to the model-based/model-free predicted counterparts were 0.427(random forest) and 0.545(BART). The reliability of these results were assessed using internal statistical cross validation and well as external data validation. Unsupervised clustering generated very reliable and consistent partitions of the patient cohort into four computable phenotypic subgroups. These clusters were explicated by identifying specific salient clinical features included in the PRO-ACT archive that discriminate between the derived subcohorts. There are differences between alternative analytical methods in forecasting specific clinical phenotypes. Although predicting univariate clinical outcomes may be challenging, our results suggest that modern data science strategies are useful in clustering patients and generating evidence-based ALS hypotheses about complex interactions of multivariate factors. Predicting univariate clinical outcomes using the PRO-ACT data yields only marginal accuracy (about 70%). However, unsupervised clustering of participants into sub-groups generates stable, reliable and consistent (exceeding 95%) computable phenotypes whose explication requires interpretation of multivariate sets of features. HIGHLIGHTS: • Used a large ALS data archive of 8,000 patients consisting of 3 million records, including 200 clinical features tracked over 12 months. • Employed model-based and model-free methods to predict ALSFRS changes over time, cluster patients into cohorts, and derive computable phenotypes. • Research findings include stable, reliable, and consistent (95%) patient stratification into computable phenotypes. However, clinical explication of the results requires interpretation of multivariate information. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Blood Level of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) Does not Correlate With Disease Progression in a Rat Model of Familial ALS (SOD1G93A Transgenic).

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by specific loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem. Currently, there are limited options for treating ALS and further investigation of the disease etiology and ALS disease progression need to be completed. There is an urgent need to identify biomarkers to detect and study disease progression in ALS. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intermediate filament protein that is expressed by a number of cells related to the central nervous system including glial cells and ependymal cells. Recent studies indicated that significant levels of GFAP protein were detected in peripheral tissues, such as skeletal muscle. In this study, we hypothesized that levels of GFAP in blood represent a biomarker of disease progression in ALS. To test this specific hypothesis, we used a rat model of familial ALS (SOD1G93A transgenic), which has been extensively used to understand the complexity of this devastating disease. Disease progression in a cohort of male and female SOD1G93A transgenic rats was monitored by motor function, and blood samples were collected when these animals reached disease end-stage. We measured GFAP protein levels by ELISA and found no correlation between GFAP concentration and disease progression in either serum and plasma samples of SOD1G93A transgenic. Further investigation would be required in order to implicate blood GFAP as a potential biomarker for ALS.

Corticoefferent pathology distribution in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: in vivo evidence from a meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data

A sequential transaxonal disease spread of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated TDP-43 pathology in four stages has been defined by post-mortem data, which have been transferred to in vivo imaging by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies. Here, we aimed to investigate whether DTI meta-data are consistent with this proposed pattern of progression in ALS. A systematic literature search using the search engines PubMed and Scopus yielded a total of 370 publications. Of these, 57 studies with cross-sectional data and 10 longitudinal studies of human whole-brain analyses of fractional anisotropy (FA) were included in the final data analysis. Statistical meta-analyses on coordinates of significant FA alterations were performed on a grand average alteration data set using a fixed-effect model. A widespread pattern of white matter impairment was identified from cross-sectional meta data (n = 2064 ALS patients vs. n = 1688 controls) and supported from longitudinal meta data (n = 266 ALS patients over 8 months). The results from cross-sectional meta-analyses corresponded to the brain regions and tract systems according to the sequential disease spread of ALS. Structural alterations in ALS patients vs. controls followed a power gradient, i.e., the most frequent alterations were observed along the corticospinal tract (CST, related to ALS stage 1), followed by frequent alterations along the corticorubral/-pontine tract (related to ALS stage 2), together with corticostriatal pathways (related to ALS stage 3), and, finally, alterations in the hippocampal regions adjacent to the proximal portion of the perforant path (related to ALS stage 4). The results from the DTI-based neuroimaging meta-analysis strongly support the model of the corticoefferent axonal disease progression in ALS and provides further in vivo evidence for the proposed staging scheme of ALS-associated pathology.

Neuroinflammatory mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis

Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as an important mediator of disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and is characterized by reactive central nervous system (CNS) microglia and astroglia as well as infiltrating peripheral monocytes and lymphocytes. Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective factors sustain the early phase of the disease whereas inflammation becomes proinflammatory and neurotoxic as disease progression accelerates. Initially, motor neurons sustain injuries through multiple mechanisms resulting from harmful mutations causing disruptions of critical intracellular pathways. Injured motor neurons release distress signal(s), which induce inflammatory processes produced by surrounding glial cells in the CNS as well as peripheral innate and adaptive immune cells. This review will focus on mechanisms of neuroinflammation and their essential contributions in ALS pathogenesis. Regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) are a subpopulation of immunosuppressive T lymphocytes that become reduced and dysfunctional as the disease progresses in ALS patients. Their degree of dysfunction correlates with the extent and rapidity of the disease. Treg numbers are boosted in transgenic mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) mice through the passive transfer of Tregs or through treatment with an interleukin-2/ interleukin-2 monoclonal antibody complex and rapamycin. Treating the transgenic mice with either of these modalities delays disease progression and prolongs survival. In addition, Treg function is restored when dysfunctional Tregs are isolated from ALS patients and expanded ex vivo in the presence of interleukin-2 and rapamycin. Based on these findings, a first-in-human phase 1 trial has been completed in which expanded autologous Tregs were infused back into ALS patients as a potential treatment. The infusions were safe and shown to 'hit target' by enhancing both Treg numbers and suppressive functions. A delicate balance between anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory factors modulates the rates of disease progression and survival times in ALS. Tipping the balance toward the anti-inflammatory mediators shows promise in slowing the progression of this devastating disease.

Decreased signalling of EphA4 improves functional performance and motor neuron survival in the SOD1G93A ALS mouse model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an untreatable, progressive, neurodegenerative disease specifically affecting motor neurons. Recently, the tyrosine kinase receptor EphA4 was directly implicated in ALS disease progression. We report that a long-lived mutated form of the EphA4 antagonist EphA4-Fc (mutEphA4-Fc), which blocks EphA4 binding to its ligands and inhibits its function, significantly improved functional performance in SOD1G93A ALS model mice, as assessed by rotarod and hind-limb grip strength tests. Further, heterozygous motor neuron-specific EphA4 gene deletion in SOD1G93A mice promoted significant improvement in functional performance during the disease course and a delay in disease onset relative to control mice. Importantly, mice in the heterozygous deletion group showed significantly improved survival of motor neurons and architecture of endplates of neuromuscular junctions compared with control and homozygous EphA4-deletion groups. Our novel results show that EphA4 signalling directly regulates motor neuron survival and that mutEphA4-Fc is a promising therapeutic candidate to slow disease progression in ALS.

Safety and efficacy of rasagiline as an add-on therapy to riluzole in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial

Rasagiline, a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor with neuroprotective potential in Parkinson's disease, has shown a disease-modifying effect in the SOD1-Gly93Ala low-expressing mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, both alone and in combination with riluzole. We sought to test whether or not rasagiline 1 mg/day can prolong survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also receiving riluzole. Patients with possible, probable, or definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were enrolled to our randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blind, phase 2 trial from 15 German network for motor neuron diseases (MND-NET) centres (university hospitals or clinics). Eligible patients were aged at least 18 years, had onset of progressive weakness within the 36 months before the study, had disease duration of more than 6 months and less than 3 years, and had a best-sitting slow vital capacity of at least 50%. After a 4-week screening period, eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either rasagiline (1 mg/day) or placebo in addition to riluzole (100 mg/day), after stratification for site of onset (bulbar or spinal) and study centre. Patients and all personnel assessing outcome parameters were masked to treatment allocation. Patients were followed up 2, 6, 12, and 18 months after randomisation. The primary endpoint was survival time, defined as the time to death or time to study cutoff date (ie, the last patient's last visit plus 14 days). Analyses of primary outcome and safety measures were done in all patients who received at least one dose of trial treatment (intention-to-treat population). The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01879241. Between July 2, 2013, and Nov 11, 2014, 273 patients were screened for eligibility, and 252 patients were randomly assigned to receive rasagiline (n=127) or placebo (n=125). 126 patients taking rasagiline and 125 taking placebo were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. For the primary outcome, the survival probability at the end of the study was 0·43 (95% CI 0·25-0·59) in the rasagiline group (n=126) and 0·53 (0·43-0·62) in the placebo group (n=125). The estimated effect size (hazard ratio) was 0·91 (one-sided 97·5% CI -infinity to 1·34; p=0·31). Rasagiline was well tolerated, and most adverse events were due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease progression rather than treatment; the most frequent of these were dysphagia (32 [25%] taking rasagiline vs 24 [19%] taking placebo) and respiratory failure (25 [20%] vs 31 [25%]). Frequency of adverse events were comparable between both groups. Rasagiline was safe in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. There was no difference between groups in the primary outcome of survival, although post-hoc analysis suggested that rasagiline might modify disease progression in patients with an initial slope of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised greater than 0·5 points per month at baseline. This should be confirmed in another clinical trial. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

Kinematic Features of Jaw and Lips Distinguish Symptomatic From Presymptomatic Stages of Bulbar Decline in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

The goals of this study were to (a) classify speech movements of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in presymptomatic and symptomatic phases of bulbar function decline relying solely on kinematic features of lips and jaw and (b) identify the most important measures that detect the transition between early and late bulbar changes. One hundred ninety-two recordings obtained from 64 patients with ALS were considered for the analysis. Feature selection and classification algorithms were used to analyze lip and jaw movements recorded with Optotrak Certus (Northern Digital Inc.) during a sentence task. A feature set, which included 35 measures of movement range, velocity, acceleration, jerk, and area measures of lips and jaw, was used to classify sessions according to the speaking rate into presymptomatic (> 160 words per minute) and symptomatic (< 160 words per minute) groups. Presymptomatic and symptomatic phases of bulbar decline were distinguished with high accuracy (87%), relying only on lip and jaw movements. The best features that allowed detecting the differences between early and later bulbar stages included cumulative path of lower lip and jaw, peak values of velocity, acceleration, and jerk of lower lip and jaw. The results established a relationship between facial kinematics and bulbar function decline in ALS. Considering that facial movements can be recorded by means of novel inexpensive and easy-to-use, video-based methods, this work supports the development of an automatic system for facial movement analysis to help clinicians in tracking the disease progression in ALS.

Circadian Rhythm Dysfunction Accelerates Disease Progression in a Mouse Model With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by interactions between environmental factors and genetic susceptibility. Circadian rhythm dysfunction (CRD) is a significant contributor to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. However, whether CRD contributes to the progression of ALS remains little known. We performed behavioral and physiological tests on SOD1G93A ALS model mice with and without artificially induced CRD, and on wild-type controls; we also analyzed spinal cord samples histologically for differences between groups. We found that CRD accelerated the disease onset and progression of ALS in model mice, as demonstrated by aggravated functional deficits and weight loss, as well as increased motor neuron loss, activated gliosis, and nuclear factor κB-mediated inflammation in the spinal cord. We also found an increasing abundance of enteric cyanobacteria in the ALS model mice shortly after disease onset that was further enhanced by CRD. Our study provides initial evidence on the CRD as a risk factor for ALS, and intestinal cyanobacteria may be involved.