Molecular And Cellular Therapies For Motor Neuron Diseases

Molecular and Cellular Therapies for Motor Neuron Diseases discusses the basics of the diseases, also covering advances in research and clinical trials. The book provides a resource for students that will help them learn the basics in a detailed manner that is required for scientists and clinicians. Users will find a comprehensive overview of the background of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), along with the current understanding of their genetics and mechanisms. In addition, the book details gene and cell therapies that have been developed and their translation to clinical trials. Provides an overview of gene and cell therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases Edited by a leading Neurosurgeon and two research scientists to promote synthesis between basic neuroscience and clinical relevance Presents a great resource for researchers and practitioners in neuroscience, neurology, and gene and cell therapy

Dedicated to our readers, we include novel information (not reported in IntechOpen’s books before) about new contributions of aberrant astrocytes to MND damage and death in the SOD1G93A rat experimental model of ALS; novel genetic studies on ALS; an update of the structural and functional consequences of the spinal muscular atrophy-linked mutations of the survival motor neuron protein; stem cell therapy for MND; and the novel treatment for SMA and ALS in the introductory chapter. This book contains selected peer-reviewed chapters written by international researchers. In this publication, the readers will find a compilation of state-of-the-art reviews about etiology, therapies, investigations, the molecular basis of disease progression and clinical manifestations, and the genetic familial ALS, as well as novel therapeutic modalities. We look forward with confidence and pride to the remarkable role that this book will play for a new vision and mission.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which was described since 1869 by Jean Martin Charcot, is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective and progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons of the cerebral cortex, brainstem and the spinal cord. The cognitive process is not affected and is not merely the result of aging because may occur at young ages. The only known cause of the disease is associated with genetic mutations, mainly in the gene encoding superoxide dismutase 1 (familial ALS), whereas there is no known cause of the sporadic form of ALS (SALS), which comprises >90% of cases. Both ALS types develop similar histopathological and clinical characteristics, and there is no treatment or prevention of the disease. Because effective treatments for ALS, as for other neurodegenerative diseases, can only result from the knowledge of their cellular and molecular pathophysiological mechanisms, research on such mechanisms is essential. Although progress in neurochemical, physiological and clinical investigations in the last decades has identified several mechanisms that seem to be involved in the cell death process, such as glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, alterations of inhibitory circuits, inflammatory events, axonal transport deficits, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and energy failure, the understanding of the origin and temporal progress of the disease is still incomplete and insufficient. Clearly, there is a need of further experimental models and approaches to discern the importance of such mechanisms and to discover the factors that determine the selective death of motor neurons characteristic of ALS, in contrast to other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Whereas studies in vitro in cell cultures, tissue slices or organotypic preparations can give useful information regarding cellular and molecular mechanisms, the experiments in living animal models obviously reflect more closely the situation in the human disease, provided that the symptoms and their development during time mimics as close as possible those of the human disease. It is necessary to correlate the experimental findings in vitro with those in vivo, as well as those obtained in genetic models with those in non-genetic models, aiming at designing and testing therapeutic strategies based on the results obtained.

In this e-book, motor neuron disease (MND) shall refer to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting both the upper and lower motor neurons. With the discovery of C9ORF72 expansions in approximately 10% of all MND cases, in certain populations, we stand at the brink of a new era of MND research and hopefully treatment facilitated by the ability to associate a relatively large group of patients with a similar disease mechanism. This review will summarise both current clinical management of MND and our present understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of MND. Study of C9ORF72-MND has the potential to rapidly advance both of these aspects in the coming years.

'Motor Neuron Disease in Adults' reviews new information from 1998 as it applies to all aspects of motor neuron disease. Articles included use evidence-based methods to ensure that the new information is solid and advances the topic. The book can be used by anyone who provides any type of care to ALS patients.

The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Underlying Mechanisms presents the pathology, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology of the major human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, frontotemporal dementia, ALS, Huntington’s, and prion diseases. Edited and authored by internationally recognized leaders in the field, the book's chapters explore their pathogenic commonalities and differences, also including discussions of animal models and prospects for therapeutics. Diseases are presented first, with common mechanisms later. Individual chapters discuss each major neurodegenerative disease, integrating this information to offer multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms that diseases may have in common. This book provides readers with a timely update on this rapidly advancing area of investigation, presenting an invaluable resource for researchers in the field. Covers the spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases and their complex genetic, pathological, biochemical and cellular features Focuses on leading hypotheses regarding the biochemical and cellular dysfunctions that cause neurodegeneration Details features, advantages and limitations of animal models, as well as prospects for therapeutic development Authored by internationally recognized leaders in the field Includes illustrations that help clarify and consolidate complex concepts

The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has resulted in a remarkable increase our understanding of human and animal neurological disorders through the identification of disease causing or protective sequence variants. However, in many cases, robust disease models are required to understand how changes at the DNA, RNA or protein level affect neuronal and synaptic function, or key signalling pathways. In turn, these models may enable understanding of key disease processes and the identification of new targets for the medicines of the future. This e-book contains original research papers and reviews that highlight either the impact of next-generation sequencing in the understanding of neurological disorders, or utilise molecular, cellular, and whole-organism models to validate disease-causing or protective sequence variants.

Written and designed to provide comprehensive, easily accessible advice for all healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with this challenging condition, this book addresses the entire care pathway from presentation to diagnosis to symptom management and end of life issues.

Cell Press Reviews: Stem Cells to Model and Treat Disease informs, inspires, and connects stem cell researchers and clinicians at all stages in their careers with timely, comprehensive reviews written by leaders in the field and curated by Cell Press editors. The publication offers a broad view of some of the most compelling topics in stem cell research including: Safety and efficacy of stem cell treatments Stem-cell-based organ regeneration Integrating stem cells into personalized drug discovery Using pluripotent stem cells for treating neurological disease Engineering hematopoietic stem cells for innovative therapies Contributions come from leading voices in the field, including: - Shinya Yamanaka, Recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, Recipient of the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize, Professor and Director of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University, Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, L.K. Whittier Foundation Investigator in Stem Cell Biology and Professor at the University of California, San Francisco - George Q. Daley, Samuel E. Lux IV Professor of Hematology/Oncology at Harvard Medical School and Director for the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Boston Children’s Hospital - Irving Weissman, Member of National Academy of Sciences, Virgina & D.K Ludwig Professor for Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research, and Director for Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University of Medicine Cell Press Reviews: Stem Cells to Model and Treat Disease is part of the Cell Press Reviews series, which features reviews published in Cell Press primary research and Trends reviews journals. Provides timely overviews on a wide range of stem cell applications Offers insight from experts on the key opportunities and challenges facing the field Features reviews on genetic, cellular, and molecular aspects of stem-cell-based applications Includes articles originally published in Cell, Cell Stem Cell, Neuron, Trends in Molecular Medicine, and Trends in Biotechnology

Motor neuron diseases are the most catastrophic of neurodegenerative disorders. The cognitive function is spared, but the motor neuron degeneration translates into progressive muscle weakness and paralysis that propel the afflicted patient to eventual death. Neurodegenerative disorders constitute one of the major challenges of modern medicine in view of the current lack of effective therapies. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has a distinguished history as an important model organism capable of shaping our fundamental understanding of life. Remarkably, the vast majority of all known human disease genes have a similar fly counterpart and at the molecular and physiological level, the basic principles of neuromuscular function are amazingly conserved between humans and Drosophila. Combine this with the presence of numerous genetic tools developed over the last century allowing genes and the proteins they encode to be manipulated swiftly to decipher their in vivo function and you have a superb genetic animal model organism of disease.This publication singles out the past and recent accomplishments of Drosophila in modelling motor neuron disease including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs disease), hereditary spastic paraplegias, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedys disease) and spinal muscular atrophy. The emphasis is on recent developments including the emerging molecular pathways underpinning these disorders. Genetic screens aimed at identifying novel genes that cause motor neuron degeneration or finding modifiers of the phenotype resulting from the disruption of disease-causative genes are also tackled. Importantly, this collection provides an inspiring look at the indispensability of the fruit fly, and of model organisms in general, to neuroscience research.