Neuroscientists find molecular clue in ALS, suggesting potential new drug target


Researchers have uncovered a link between motor neurons’ inability to repair oxidative genome damage in ALS, suggesting that DNA ligase-targeted therapies may prevent or slowdown disease progression. The defect found was with DNA ligase III, an important enzyme for connecting single-stranded DNA breaks in mature neurons that, once worn out, are no longer capable of new growth or being replenished in the body.