Novel Therapeutic Targets in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is an adult-onset, irremediable, and fatal neurodegenerative disease marked by the advancement in the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem, and motor cortex. Etiology is blurred, but it is thought to be multifactorial, which contributes to the heterogeneity and complexity of the disease. Core knowledge of primary etiology and pathological mechanisms can pave the way towards treatment. This chapter examines mechanisms that may contribute to motor neuron degeneration, among which oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation, axonal transport are potential novel therapeutic targets for ALS treatment.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Motor neuron, Neurodegenerative disease.