New Gene ALS6 Linked to Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Researchers have found a new gene, ALS6, which is associated with 5 percent of Lou Gehrig’s cases. Lou Gehrig’s disease, formally known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), is a disease of the nervous system that affects muscular functions and eventually leads to total paralysis. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital conducted gene sequencing in families with an inherited form of ALS and found that in patients with Lou Gehrig's disease, the ALS6 protein is outside the nucleus and sometimes forms unusual clumps instead of inside the nucleus as in a normal person. Scientists believe that this new discovery, combined with a previously discovered gene associated with the disease called TDP-43 will provide more insights into the causes of the disease. Both genes help in building and transporting proteins and making sure they're in the right place in cell structure and in RNA processing. This new discovery is interesting because it establishes the important role that RNA processing plays in causing the disease and it can also provides new insights into the causes and mechanisms of other neurodegenerative diseases. If these two genes are indeed the root of the disease, a definitive test can be developed to diagnose or even prevent the disease in the future.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/27/gehrig.gene/