Title:
The role of CNTF as a modifier gene in motoneuron diseases
Project management at the University of Würzburg:
Participating scientists:
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: