Taking stock of ANG in ALS - HOLD

 

Serve and neuroprotect.  Researchers hope to introduce astrocytes (above) into people with ALS to protect their motor nerves from destruction. Image: Robert Krencik (2011), University of Wisconsin Madison.

To learn more about how scientists hope to use astrocytes to treat ALS, read Operation Neuroprotection. To read about other stem cell-based strategies currently being evaluated in the clinic, read Neuralstem: surging immunosuppression?

References - Angiogenin

Skorupa, A., King, M.A., Aparicio, I.M., Dussmann, H., Coughlan, K., Breen, B., Kieran, D., Concannon, C.G., Marin, P. and Prehn, J.H. (2012) Motoneurons secrete angiogenin to induce RNA cleavage in astroglia. Journal of Neuroscience 32(15), 5024-5038.  Abstract | Full Text (Subscription Required)

Van Es, M.A. et al. (2011) Angiogenin variants in Parkinson disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Annals of Neurology 70(6), 964-973. Abstract | Full Text (Subscription Required)

Kieran, D., Sebastia, J., Greenway, M.J., King, M.A., Connaughton, D., Concannon, C.G., Fenner, B., Hardiman, O. and Prehn, J.H. (2008) Control of motoneuron survival by angiogenin. Journal of Neuroscience 28(52), 14056-14061. Abstract | Full Text

Cronin, S., Greenway, M.J., Ennis, S., Kieran, D., Green, A., Prehn, J.H. and Hardiman, O. (2006). Elevated serum angiogenin levels in ALS. Neurology 67(10), 1833-1836. Abstract | Full Text (Subscription Required)

Greenway, M.J. et al. (2006) ANG mutations segregate with familial and 'sporadic' amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nature Genetics 38(4), 411-413. Abstract | Full Text (Subscription Required)

References - Stem Cell Therapies

Lepore, A.C., O'Donnell, J., Kim, A.S., Williams, T., Tuteja, A., Rao, M.S., Kelley, L.L., Campanelli, J.T., and Maragakis N.J. (2011) Human Glial-Restricted Progenitor Transplantation into Cervical Spinal Cord of the SOD1 Mouse Model of ALS. PLOS One, 6(10), e25968. Abstract | Full Text

Lepore, A.C., Rauck, B., Dejea, C., Pardo, A.C., Rao, M.S., Rothstein, J.D., and Maragakis, N.J. (2008). Focal transplantation-based astrocyte replacement is neuroprotective in a model of motor neuron disease. Nature Neuroscience 11(11), 1294-1301. Abstract | Full Text

Further Reading

Liu-Yesucevitz, L., Bassell, G.J., Gitler, A.D., Hart, A.C., Klann, E., Richter, J.D., Warren, S.T. and Wolozin, B. (2011) Local RNA translation at the synapse and in disease.  Journal of Neuroscience 31(45), 16086-16093. Abstract | Full Text (Subscription Required)