Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, slowly destroys the
motor neurons that control movement. Patients gradually lose the ability
to walk, speak and swallow - and eventually, to breathe.
Conventional
treatments include physical therapy and medications, but researchers
have recently started looking to the gut as a new target for
intervention.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Find out more about the degenerative disease- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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‘The compound butyrate helped correct a gut microbiome imbalance and reduced gut leakiness - both symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.’
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A bacterial by-product known to be important in maintaining gut health may slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of
Medicine report that in a mouse model of ALS, the compound butyrate
helped correct a gut microbiome imbalance and reduced gut leakiness -
both symptoms of ALS. The treated mice lived also longer compared to
mice that weren't given butyrate.
![Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk Affected by Physical and Cognitive Fitness]( "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk Affected by Physical and Cognitive Fitness")
Physical fitness, body mass index (BMI), IQ, and stress resilience in young adulthood may have effects on the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The finding is reported in Clinical Therapeutics.
"The brain and the gut are linked, so it's not too surprising that the health of the gut can impact the functioning of neurons," says Jun Sun, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at UIC and corresponding author of the paper. In March, she and her coworkers were the first to identify a gut component to ALS progression.
The gut microbiome - the myriad bacteria, viruses and other microbes that make the gut their home - when in balance, helps maintain health, starting with the gut lining. Leaky gut in ALS may lead to increased inflammation. Reducing this gut-associated inflammation has been a goal of clinicians and researchers, and rebalancing the gut microbiome has shown promise in small-animal studies.
Sun and her colleagues studied transgenic mice that were engineered to carry human genes known to contribute to certain forms of ALS. The mice were found to have an abnormal microbiome, along with damaged junctions between the cells of the intestinal lining. Poorly functioning junctions can cause the tissue to become leaky, and have been found to be associated with the onset of ALS in humans.
When the researchers fed the ALS-prone mice butyrate in their water, starting when the mice were 35 to 42 days old, the mice showed a restored gut microbiome profile and improved gut integrity. Butyrate-treated mice also showed improved neuromuscular function and delayed onset of ALS symptoms. Treated mice showed symptoms at 150 days old compared to control mice at about 110 days. Treated mice also lived an average 38 days longer than mice not given butyrate.
"There is only one approved drug to treat ALS, so we need additional treatments," Sun said. "Butyrate is a bacterial by-product, and already available over the counter as a supplement. Studies are needed to see its effects on ALS in humans, but our preliminary results in mice are very promising."
Source: Eurekalert
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk Affected by Physical and Cognitive Fitness
Physical fitness, body mass index (BMI), IQ, and stress resilience in young adulthood may have effects on the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Advertisement
The finding is reported in Clinical Therapeutics.
"The brain and the gut are linked, so it's not too surprising that the health of the gut can impact the functioning of neurons," says Jun Sun, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at UIC and corresponding author of the paper. In March, she and her coworkers were the first to identify a gut component to ALS progression.
The gut microbiome - the myriad bacteria, viruses and other microbes that make the gut their home - when in balance, helps maintain health, starting with the gut lining. Leaky gut in ALS may lead to increased inflammation. Reducing this gut-associated inflammation has been a goal of clinicians and researchers, and rebalancing the gut microbiome has shown promise in small-animal studies.
Sun and her colleagues studied transgenic mice that were engineered to carry human genes known to contribute to certain forms of ALS. The mice were found to have an abnormal microbiome, along with damaged junctions between the cells of the intestinal lining. Poorly functioning junctions can cause the tissue to become leaky, and have been found to be associated with the onset of ALS in humans.
When the researchers fed the ALS-prone mice butyrate in their water, starting when the mice were 35 to 42 days old, the mice showed a restored gut microbiome profile and improved gut integrity. Butyrate-treated mice also showed improved neuromuscular function and delayed onset of ALS symptoms. Treated mice showed symptoms at 150 days old compared to control mice at about 110 days. Treated mice also lived an average 38 days longer than mice not given butyrate.
"There is only one approved drug to treat ALS, so we need additional treatments," Sun said. "Butyrate is a bacterial by-product, and already available over the counter as a supplement. Studies are needed to see its effects on ALS in humans, but our preliminary results in mice are very promising."
Source: Eurekalert
Protective Molecule Sidelined in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
The discovery in mice has implications for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
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Novel Mechanism That Could Lead to Therapies for Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisA novel molecular mechanism that could lead to the development of new therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been described by researchers. | Advertisement
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