Study Raises Possibility of Immunotherapy Treatment for ALS
Published:26 Aug.2023 Source:Oregon Health & Science University
New research reveals a type of monoclonal antibody already tested in certain forms of cancer may be a promising treatment in stopping the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease.
The study, involving a mouse model and confirmed in the tissue of human brains affected by ALS and donated after death, revealed for the first time that modulating immune cells can slow the progression of the disease. Previous research suggested a role for immune cells in ALS, but researchers this time used a high-throughput screening technique to identify a particular type of protein expressed on immune cells in the brain and spinal cord in people with ALS, known as alpha-5 integrin. The team used a monoclonal antibody targeting a5 integrin, which had already been developed and used in treating certain forms of cancer. This means that it's already undergone extensive safety studies to achieve approval through the Food and Drug Administration.
Using postmortem tissue from 139 brains donated for research, scientists confirmed the presence of a5 integrin within areas of the brain associated with motor function. Specifically, they found a5 integrin expressed by microglial cells and macrophages in blood -- cells associated with the immune system -- to be highly pronounced in the spinal cord, motor cortex and peripheral nerves during ALS. They then tested the monoclonal antibody targeting a5 integrin in mice genetically predisposed to carry ALS and found that it protected motor function, delayed disease progression and increased mouse survival.