Biomarkers in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: The State of the Art in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Int J Mol Sci
; 23(5)2022 Feb 25.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35269723
ABSTRACT
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the progressive loss of lower motor neurons, weakness and muscle atrophy. ALS lacks an effective cure and diagnosis is often made by exclusion. Thus, it is imperative to search for biomarkers. Biomarkers can help in understanding ALS pathomechanisms, identification of targets for treatment and development of effective therapies. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) represent a valid source for biomarkers compared to cerebrospinal fluid, as they are simple to collect, and to plasma, because of the possibility of detecting lower expressed proteins. They are a reliable model for patients' stratification. This review provides an overview on PBMCs as a potential source of biomarkers in ALS. We focused on altered RNA metabolism (coding/non-coding RNA), including RNA processing, mRNA stabilization, transport and translation regulation. We addressed protein abnormalities (aggregation, misfolding and modifications); specifically, we highlighted that SOD1 appears to be the most characterizing protein in ALS. Finally, we emphasized the correlation between biological parameters and disease phenotypes, as regards prognosis, severity and clinical features. In conclusion, even though further studies are needed to standardize the use of PBMCs as a tool for biomarker investigation, they represent a promising approach in ALS research.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Doenças Neurodegenerativas
/
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article