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Third-party-funded project

Title:
The role of CNTF as a modifier gene in motoneuron diseases

Project management at the University of Würzburg:

• Prof. Dr. med. Michael Sendtner ,Tel: 0931-201-49767,Fax: 0931-201-49788

Participating scientists:

• Dr. med. Ralf Giess
• Dr. med. vet. Bettina Holtmann
• Dr. rer. nat. Stefan Wiese

Abstract:
About 3 % of the population in Europe lack a functional CNTF gene. We have investigated whether homocygous loss of the CNTF gene modulates disease onset and course of disease in Amyotrophic Lateralsclerosis. Analysis of more than 800 patients revealed that disease onset is significantly earlier in CNTF-/- individuals, and that patients SOD-1 mutations show earlier onset of disease when CNTF is not produced. Similar data were obtained in mice with mutated SOD-1 and CNTF genes.

Key words:
    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
    motoneuron disease

Projekt period: from 01.1999 to 12.2002

Publications:

• Giess et al.. (2002). Early Onset of Severe Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with a SOD-1 Mutation: Potential Impact of CNTF as a Candidate Modifier Gene. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 70, (scientific article)

Links:
Institute for Clinical Neurobiology