"STRESSED OUT": The role of FUS and TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Mutations in fused-in-sarcoma (FUS) and TAR DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43; TARDBP) are known to cause the severe adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Proteinopathy caused by cellular stresses such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidative stress, mitochondrial stress and proteasomal stress and the formation of stress granules (SGs), cytoplasmic aggregates and inclusions is a hallmark of ALS. FUS and TDP-43, which are DNA/RNA binding proteins that regulate transcription, RNA homeostasis and protein translation are implicated in ALS proteinopathy. Disease-causing mutations in FUS and TDP-43 cause sequestration of these proteins and their interacting partners in the cytoplasm, which leads to aggregation. This mislocalization and formation of aggregates and SGs is cytotoxic and a contributor to neuronal death. We explore how loss-of-nuclear-function and gain-of-cytoplasmic function mechanisms that affect FUS and TPD-43 localization can generate a 'stressed out' neuronal pathology and proteinopathy that drives ALS progression.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for neurodegenerative disease: A promising frontier

Neurodegenerative disorders are a variety of diseases including Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and Huntington's diseases (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) along with some other less common diseases generally described by the advanced deterioration of central or peripheral nervous system, structurally or functionally. In the last two decades, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) due to their unique assets encompassing self-renewal, multipotency and accessibility in association with low ethical concern open new frontiers in the context of neurodegenerative diseases therapy. Interestingly, MSCs can be differentiated into endodermal and ectodermal lineages (e.g., neurons, oligodendrocyte, and astrocyte), and thus could be employed to advance cell-based therapeutic strategy. Additionally, as inflammation ordinarily ensues as a local response provoked by microglia in the neurodegenerative diseases, MSCs therapy because of their pronounced immunomodulatory properties is noticed as a rational approach for their treatment. Recently, varied types of studies have been mostly carried out in vitro and rodent models using MSCs upon their procurement from various sources and expansion. The promising results of the studies in rodent models have motivated researchers to design and perform several clinical trials, with a speedily rising number. In the current review, we aim to deliver a brief overview of MSCs sources, expansion strategies, and their immunosuppressive characteristics and discuss credible functional mechanisms exerted by MSCs to treat neurodegenerative disorders, covering AD, PD, ALS, MS, and HD.