[Molecular pathogenesis of motor neuron disease]

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that selectively involves motor neurons. About ninety percent of ALS patients are non-hereditary sporadic cases, the molecular pathogenesis of which is unknown. One of the effective approach to analyze the molecular pathology is to analyze the gene expression profiles of the neurons being involved in ALS and compare them to those of the intact neurons. The genes whose expression levels are specifically altered in ALS tissues are likely to be the candidate molecules which are related to the molecular pathogenesis of motor neuron degeneration. We have been examining the spinal cord tissues from the ALS and control autopsied cases by the methods of molecular indexing and cDNA microarray analysis. We have screened more than 10,000 genes, and obtained several novel genes the expression levels of which are altered in ALS tissues. We are now still ongoing to analyze the function of these genes as well as a role in pathophysiology in ALS.