NAA Associated Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a kind of natural autoantibodies (NAA)-related neurological disease that is mainly presented as muscular paralysis. Over the past years, we Creative Biolabs has committed to the researches of natural autoantibodies and related diseases. Based on our innovate and advanced technology platform, we can provide professional strategies and improved NAA services on ALS for our customers throughout the world.
What Is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by muscular paralysis. ALS is a group of disorders in which nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement in motor neuron system gradually break down and die.
➢ Symptoms and Signs
Typical presentations of ALS are muscle weakness, atrophy, and muscle spasms throughout the body due to the degeneration of the neurons.
- Early stage: 75% ALS patients early present muscle weakness or muscle atrophy in an arm or leg, about 25% of cases begin with bulbar-onset ALS including difficulty speaking or swallowing even breathing.
- Progressive stage: the order and rate of symptoms vary from person to person at this stage, most of the people are unable to walk, speak and swallow food over time.
- Advanced stage: chewing and swallowing become more difficult, which increases more risk of choking or aspirating food into the lungs. At last, most patients die due to respiratory failure.
➢ Causes and Pathogenesis
- Genetic factors: it can be divided into familial or sporadic ALS.
- Excitotoxicity: excessive glutamate stimulates the postsynaptic glutamate receptors leading to massive Ca2+ influx into the neurons and NO formation increase, finally cause neuronal injury.
- Oxidative stress: studies indicated mutations in the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene could result in familial ALS.
- Mitochondrial dysfunction: abnormalities in mitochondrial morphology and biochemistry could be observed in sporadic ALS patients, SOD1 mutation mice.
- Neurofilament aggregation: neurofilament proteins accumulation together with peripherin have been observed in the majority of axonal motor neurons of ALS patients and SOD1 patients.
- Others: other physical and environmental factors.
Fig.1 Clinical manifestations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (Hardiman, 2017)
Diagnosis and Treatment of ALS
There is no test can provide an accurate diagnosis of ALS currently. Electromyography and nerve conduction study for muscle tests, MRI scan, blood and urine samples tests, symptoms, and muscle biopsy can help diagnose ALS. A number of biomarkers are being explored for this disorder and early diagnosis.
The Importance of NAA in ALS
Currently, a radical treatment has not been found for ALS, while available treatments like medication, physical therapy, and supportive care can only help patients control symptoms, prevent unnecessary complications, and make them live with the disease easier. Function mechanism of effective drugs Riluzole or Edaravone is poorly understood. Developments of therapeutic drugs are suffocated mainly because of the lack of biomarkers which are helpful in early diagnosis, disease progression monitoring, and target demonstrating. Researches on natural autoantibody biomarkers for ALS such as neurofilament proteins, sulphoglucuronyl paragloboside, voltage-gated calcium channels have made great progress. The natural autoantibody biomarkers studied by Creative Biolabs including but not limited to the followings:
| Natural Autoantibodies Targets in ALS | |||
| ŸAnti-Neurofilament (NF) | Anti-Sulphoglucuronyl Paragloboside (SGPG) | Anti-Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels (VGCC) | ŸAnti-Oxysterols |
Fig.2 Main pathogenic processes and potential therapies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (Mathis, 2017)
Creative Biolabs has decades of experience, a full range of technical platform, and professional scientists to help our customers to improve their research or projects about NAA. For amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related NAA detection or profiling, we can offer a professional and perfect solution to you. Just directly contact us for more information and a detailed quote.
References:
- Hardiman, O.; et al. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nature Reviews. Disease primers. 2017, 3: 17071.
- Mathis, S.; et al. Current view and perspectives in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neural Regeneration Research. 2017, 12(2): 181-184.
Choosing natural autoantibody (NAA) microarray to profile autoantibody repertoire and reveal novel disease's marker.
- NAA Services for Anti-Neurofilament (NF) Antibody
- NAA Services for Anti-Sulfoglucuronyl Paragloboside (SGPG)
- NAA Services for Anti-Oxysterols Antibody
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