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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Published on: July 16, 2021
Does apoptosis occur in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? TUNEL experience from human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Barbara Tomik1, Dariusz Adamek, Piotr Pierzchalski
1Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Botaniczna 3, 31-503 Krakow, Poland. tomik@neuro.cm-uj.krakow.pl
Abstract:
The role that apoptosis plays in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still unclear. From our autopsy samples, we have undertaken an effort to verify if apoptosis in ALS really occurs or if can at least be detected. The study was performed using TUNEL method for screening the apoptotic changes in the autopsy samples from 8 ALS cases compared with 16 control cases. No features of apoptosis (DNA cleavages) were noted in any of the investigated regions of the central nervous system in ALS cases as well as in controls. These preliminary results seem to support the reports, which deny the role of apoptosis in human ALS. The following investigations using additional methods will be performed for detection the apoptotic signals in ALS.
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