Neurodegenerative diseases are diseases caused by the degeneration and loss of nerve cells in the human body.
Among the neurodegenerative diseases, there are not only amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is the subject of this study, but also Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In ALS, it is known that a mass (inclusion body) of a protein fragment is formed in a motor neuron and contains a fragment of TDP43.
TDP43, which is one of the fragments of TDP25, forms aggregates, and RNA suppresses the aggregate formation. Akira Kitamura, Department of Cellular Function Science, Graduate School of Advanced Life Sciences, Hokkaido University (Professor Masataka Kaneshiro) It was discovered for the first time in the world by a group centered on assistant professors.This RNA was not shown to suppress other ALS-causing gene products SOD1 and FUS / TLS, and was also shown to be specific for TDP25.Furthermore, by keeping TDP43 in the nucleus, we have shown the possibility of avoiding nerve cell death.
This study revealed the mechanism of RNA-mediated aggregate and inclusion body formation in TDP43.Until now, protein aggregate formation has been considered to occur alone, but this study revealed that RNA is actively involved, and RNA with a specific sequence can be used as an ALS progression inhibitor. It is expected that it can be created.
