Understanding mechanisms of inherited ALS

About 10% of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) have an inherited form of the disorder. In some of these individuals, mutations in the gene for Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) cause the disease by creating a toxic enzyme. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School studied the mutant SOD1 enzyme and discovered that it becomes sticky in tissues, which could promote abnormal interactions with other proteins or membranes in a cell. This discovery may lead to new treatments for ALS which prevent build-up of the sticky form of SOD1. The research was published in the August 19, 2005, issue of Journal of Biological Chemistry.