Reversing the way proteins accumulate in the wrong part of brain cells

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL) have studied how proteins accumulate in the wrong parts of brain cells in motor neuron diseases and have proved that In some cases, how is it possible to reverse this situation

In 97% of ALS cases, a common phenomenon is that the protein involved in RNA regulation (RNA binding protein) abnormally aggregates from the nucleus of the motor neuron into the surrounding cytoplasm

A new study published in the journal Brain Communications ("The TDP-43 and FUS mispronunciation of VCP mutant motor neurons is reversed by the pharmacological inhibition of the VCP D2 ATPase domain") shows that the researchers are experimenting Motor neurons cultured from skin cells donated by patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were used in the room, proving that it is possible to reverse the mislocalization of the three RNA-binding proteins

"RNA-binding proteins have been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

"In order to solve this problem, we used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons carrying VCP mutations

"However, motor neurons with VCP? mutations can not only partially relocate SFPQ from neurites, but also strongly reverse the mislocation of TDP-43 and FUS

Abnormal protein localization

The research team found that when the VCP enzyme is mutated, the abnormal position of these proteins may cause its activity to increase

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As the same group saw in a second study recently published in the journal Brain, efforts to understand the mechanism of ALS disease are ongoing

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Scientists believe that the collection of intron-retaining transcripts in the cytoplasm may be a factor in attracting RNA-binding proteins into the cytoplasm, although more studies are needed to confirm this

"Our two papers together show how laboratory science advances our understanding of this complex and devastating disease, and provides some assurance that effective treatments may be developed in the future