Study identifies new gene associated with ALS
Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 14:42
in Biology & Nature
A collaborative research effort spanning nearly a decade between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and King`s College London (KCL) has identified a novel gene for inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig`s disease). This is the fourth gene associated with familial forms of the devastating neurological disorder. Two papers, published in the February 27 edition of Science, report mutations in FUS/TLS, a gene known to play a role in DNA repair and the regulation of gene expression. The mutations affect the behavior of the FUS/TLS protein within cells and lead to deposits of abnormal protein within motor neurons.