(Press-News.org) Québec, January 10, 2024 – In people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), changes in neurons appear to activate immune cells. Lowering the inflammation could reduce the symptoms of the disease, according to a study led by Chantelle Sephton, a professor at Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine.
ALS is caused by the loss of upper motor neurons, located in the brain, and lower motor neurons, which extend from the spinal cord to the muscles. Using a genetically modified mouse model, Chantelle Sephton and her team found that structural changes in the upper neurons occurred prior to disease symptoms.
The study suggests that these morphological changes send a signal to microglia and astrocytes, the immune cells of the central nervous system. When they arrive, their effect is protective, but if they stay too long, they become toxic to neurons. This leads to a reduction in synaptic connections between motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, which in turn results in a reduction in synaptic connections with muscles. These changes lead to atrophy and loss of motor function.
Given this correlation between symptoms and immune response, the research team wondered whether it might be possible to restore synaptic connections by blocking inflammation. " We tested a semi-synthetic drug based on Withaferin A, an extract of the Ashwagandha plant, which has been used for thousands of years in traditional Indian medicine," explains CERVO Research Center affiliate Chantelle Sephton.
The drug blocks inflammation and allows motor neurons to return to a more normal state. "We have noticed that neurons regenerate in the absence of activated immune cells. The dendrites of motor neurons start to grow and make connections again, increasing the number of synapses between motor neurons and muscles," reports the researcher.
This seems a promising way of improving ALS symptoms, whether the disease is familial or sporadic, since both types are associated with inflammation.
Other diseases where inflammation plays a role, such as Alzheimer's, could benefit from this approach.
The study was published in the scientific journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications. The signatories are Mari Carmen Pelaez, Antoine Desmeules, Pauline Gelon, Bastien Glasson, Laetitia Marcadet, Alicia Rodgers, Daniel Phaneuf, Silvia Pozzi, Paul Dutchak, Jean-Pierre Julien and Chantelle Sephton.
-30-
Source :
Public Relations and Protocol
Université Laval
418 656-3355
medias@ulaval.ca
END
ALS: blocking inflammation to reduce symptoms
2024-01-10
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
PFAS flow equally between Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, study finds
2024-01-10
The frigid Arctic Ocean is far removed from the places most people live, but even so, “forever chemicals” reach this remote landscape. Now, research in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) won't stay there indefinitely. Instead, they are transported in a feedback loop, with the Arctic Ocean potentially exporting as many PFAS to the North Atlantic Ocean as it receives, circulating the compounds around the world.
To ...
Rice University Engineer Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ph.D., recognized for revolutionary imaging technology that seeks to make the invisible visible
2024-01-10
Trailblazing engineer Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science, George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University, is the recipient of the 2024 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Engineering from TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology). He was chosen for his revolutionary imaging technology that seeks to make the invisible visible. View a video on Dr. Veeraraghavan's groundbreaking research here.
Imagine taking a pristine picture through fog, smoke and rain. Imagine taking interior images of the human body through skin, bone ...
UT Southwestern Medical Center biochemist Vincent Tagliabracci, recognized for potentially life-saving research in understanding how enzymes work
2024-01-10
Forward-thinking biochemist Vincent Tagliabracci, Ph.D., Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, is the recipient of the 2024 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences from TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology). He was chosen for his potentially life-saving research in understanding how enzymes work. View a video on Dr. Tagliabracci's groundbreaking research here.
Dr. Tagliabracci and his team at UT Southwestern Medical Center have shined a new light on an array of physiological processes that rely on enzymes called protein kinases (PKs) and their biological cousins called ...
University of North Texas nanoporous materials researcher Shengqian Ma, Ph.D., recognized for innovative work in the field of decontamination
2024-01-10
A worldwide leader in nanoporous materials research, Shengqian Ma, Ph.D., Professor and Welch Chair in Chemistry, the University of North Texas, is the recipient of the 2024 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Physical Sciences from TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology). He was chosen for his innovative work in the field of decontamination. View a video on Dr. Ma's groundbreaking research here.
In a time of growing concern for the Earth and humanity’s ecosystem, Dr. Ma’s work could have an incredibly important impact on environmental and energy sustainability. His research was primarily ...
NASA Johnson Space Center engineer Kimberly A. Hambuchen, Ph.D., recognized for seminal research in developing new methods for making robots more autonomous and usable by humans across a time delay
2024-01-10
A true pioneer in space, robotics engineer Kimberly A. Hambuchen, Ph.D., Deputy Chief, Software, Robotics and Simulation Division at NASA Johnson Space Center, is the recipient of the 2024 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Technology Innovation from TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology). She was chosen for her seminal research in developing new methods for making robots more autonomous and usable by humans across a time delay. View a video on Dr. Hambuchen's groundbreaking research here.
Dr. Hambuchen’s research focuses on human-robot ...
More siblings mean poorer mental health for teens
2024-01-10
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Teens from larger families have poorer mental health than those with fewer siblings, according to a large analysis of children in the United States and China.
The details of the pattern vary depending on factors such as the spacing of sibling ages and the age of the siblings.
But the fact that the overall pattern was found in both countries is striking, said Doug Downey, lead author of the study and professor of sociology at The Ohio State University.
“Our results couldn’t have been easily predicted before we did the study,” Downey said.
“Other studies have shown that having more siblings ...
Study on lamprey embryos sheds light on the evolutionary origin of vertebrate head
2024-01-10
The origin of the vertebrate skull is a topic of much debate among evolutionary biologists. Some believe that the vertebrate head has developed as a result of modification of the segmental elements of the trunk, such as the vertebrae and somites. On the other hand, others believe that the vertebrate head has evolved as a new, unsegment body part, unrelated to other widely observed embryonic segments somites. Interestingly, previous studies on embryos have revealed the presence of some vestiges of somites ...
Unveiling the reproductive secrets of red-swamp crayfish
2024-01-10
Procambarus clarkii is a crustacean species native to American freshwater bodies. Brought to Japan in the 1920s as a feed for frogs, this crustacean has slowly taken over the Japanese freshwaters by predation and propagation. In fact, in 2023, the red-swamp crayfish was designated as an invasive alien species by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
One way to control the growth in population of red-swamp crayfish and the accompanying crisis is to capture the red-swamp crayfish in their reproductive ...
US heart disease deaths linked with substance use rose 4% per year between 1999-2019
2024-01-10
Research Highlights:
Despite drops in overall cardiovascular disease deaths from 1999-2019, cardiovascular disease deaths in which substance use was cited as a contributing factor increased an average of 4% per year, with the death rate accelerating to 6.2% from 2012-2019.
Prominent increases in cardiovascular deaths associated with substance use were most notable among women, American Indian or Alaskan individuals, younger individuals, rural area residents and users of cannabis and psychostimulants.
Identifying high-risk groups is crucial for prioritizing preventive measures to reduce substance use linked with cardiovascular disease deaths, particularly ...
Noninvasive technique reveals how cells’ gene expression changes over time
2024-01-10
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Sequencing all of the RNA in a cell can reveal a great deal of information about that cell’s function and what it is doing at a given point in time. However, the sequencing process destroys the cell, making it difficult to study ongoing changes in gene expression.
An alternative approach developed at MIT could enable researchers to track such changes over extended periods of time. The new method, which is based on a noninvasive imaging technique known as Raman spectroscopy, doesn’t harm cells and can be performed repeatedly.
Using ...