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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

ALS - Motor Neuron Disease: Mechanism and Development of New Therapies
Published on: July 29, 2007
Emerging Links between Lipid Droplets and Motor Neuron Diseases
Giuseppa Pennetta1, Michael A Welte2
1Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
Abstract:
Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous fat storage organelles and play key roles in lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis; in addition, they contribute to protein storage, folding, and degradation. However, a role for LDs in the nervous system remains largely unexplored. We discuss evidence supporting an intimate functional connection between LDs and motor neuron disease (MND) pathophysiology, examining how LD functions in systemic energy homeostasis, in neuron-glia metabolic coupling, and in protein folding and clearance may affect or contribute to disease pathology. An integrated understanding of LD biology and neurodegeneration may open the way for new therapeutic interventions.
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