showing 9 related works from this author
Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene
2018
© 2018 Elsevier Inc.
G-CSF (filgrastim) treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: protocol for a phase II randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group,…
2020
IntroductionAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurological disorder characterised by a selective degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). Stem cell transplantation is considered as a promising strategy in neurological disorders therapy and the possibility of inducing bone marrow cells (BMCs) to circulate in the peripheral blood is suggested to investigate stem cells migration in degenerated ALS nerve tissues where potentially repair MN damage. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a growth factor which stimulates haematopoietic progenitor cells, mobilises BMCs into injured brain and it is itself a neurotrophic factor for MN. G-CSF safety in humans has been de…
HFE p.H63D polymorphism does not influence ALS phenotype and survival.
2015
It has been recently reported that the p.His63Asp polymorphism of the HFE gene accelerates disease progression both in the SOD1 transgenic mouse and in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. We have evaluated the effect of HFE p.His63Asp polymorphism on the phenotype in 1351 Italian ALS patients (232 of Sardinian ancestry). Patients were genotyped for the HFE p.His63Asp polymorphism (CC, GC, and GG). All patients were also assessed for C9ORF72, TARDBP, SOD1, and FUS mutations. Of the 1351 ALS patients, 363 (29.2%) were heterozygous (GC) for the p.His63Asp polymorphism and 30 (2.2%) were homozygous for the minor allele (GG). Patients with CC, GC, and GG polymorphisms did not significa…
C9ORF72 in a Large Series of Italian and Sardinian Familial and Sporadic ALS Patients (IN9-1.003)
2012
Objective: To assess the frequency and the phenotype of a large series of Italian sALS and fALS with C9ORF72 repeat expansions. Background Recently we found that large expansions of hexanucleotide repeats (GGGGCC) in the first intron of the C9ORF72 gene, located in the chromosome 9p21, are related to familial and sporadic ALS cases(Renton et al, 2011). Design/Methods: We assessed 126 index fALS (106 Italians, 20 of Sardinians) and 601 sALS (485 Italians, 116 Sardinians), negative for other ALS-related genes mutations. Patients were collected through the ITALSGEN consortium. Repeat primer PCR to screen the presence of the hexanucleotide expansion in the first intron of C9ORF72 have been perf…
Could mitochondrial haplogroups play a role in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
2004
Mitochondrial impairment has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Furthermore, mitochondrial-specific polymorphisms were previously related to other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson, Friedreich and Alzheimer disease. To investigate if specific genetic polymorphisms within the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) could act as susceptibility factors and contribute to the clinical expression of sporadic ALS (sALS), we have genotyped predefined European mtDNA haplogroups in 222 Italian patients with sALS and 151 matched controls. Individuals classified as haplogroup I demonstrated a significant decrease in risk of ALS versus individuals carrying t…
Protein misfolding, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and guanabenz: Protocol for a phase II RCT with futility design (ProMISe trial)
2017
IntroductionRecent studies suggest that endoplasmic reticulum stress may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through an altered regulation of the proteostasis, the cellular pathway-balancing protein synthesis and degradation. A key mechanism is thought to be the dephosphorylation of eIF2α, a factor involved in the initiation of protein translation. Guanabenz is an alpha-2-adrenergic receptor agonist safely used in past to treat mild hypertension and is now an orphan drug. A pharmacological action recently discovered is its ability to modulate the synthesis of proteins by the activation of translational factors preventing misfolded protein accumula…
A two-stage genome-wide association study of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2009
The cause of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is largely unknown, but genetic factors are thought to play a significant role in determining susceptibility to motor neuron degeneration. To identify genetic variants altering risk of ALS, we undertook a two-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS): we followed our initial GWAS of 545 066 SNPs in 553 individuals with ALS and 2338 controls by testing the 7600 most associated SNPs from the first stage in three independent cohorts consisting of 2160 cases and 3008 controls. None of the SNPs selected for replication exceeded the Bonferroni threshold for significance. The two most significantly associated SNPs, rs2708909 and rs2708851 …
FUS mutations in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2011
Mutations in the FUS gene have recently been described as a cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but their role in the pathogenesis of sporadic ALS is unclear. We undertook mutational screening of all coding exons of FUS in 228 sporadic ALS cases, and, as previous reports suggest that exon 15 represents a mutational hotspot, we sequenced this exon in an additional 1295 sporadic cases. Six variants in six different cases were found, indicating that FUS mutations can underlie apparently sporadic ALS, but account for less than 1% of this form of disease. © 2010 .
Exome Sequencing Reveals VCP Mutations as a Cause of Familial ALS
2010
Summary Using exome sequencing, we identified a p.R191Q amino acid change in the valosin-containing protein ( VCP ) gene in an Italian family with autosomal dominantly inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in VCP have previously been identified in families with Inclusion Body Myopathy, Paget disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia (IBMPFD). Screening of VCP in a cohort of 210 familial ALS cases and 78 autopsy-proven ALS cases identified four additional mutations including a p.R155H mutation in a pathologically proven case of ALS. VCP protein is essential for maturation of ubiquitin-containing autophagosomes, and mutant VCP toxicity is partially mediated through its effect on…